Claire loves...

Gone so long.

2012-01-03T22:54:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes, I know. We have to stop meeting this way, right?

One of these days I will finally learn how to blog whist maintaining a busy schedule.... or will I? That's for me and you BOTH to find out.

Anyway, here we are. 2012. Yes, it's a new year. In the past I have made big announcements around this time, shouting from the rooftops that "THIS IS MY YEAR!!". Well, not this year. You may have noticed from my numerous rashes, near fatal infection, loss of two Grandparents, not to mention the serious lack of published illustration work, that 2011 was not the most amazing of years for me. It actually made past years that I have whined about look like parades. Nope, no big declarations for 2012. I will work hard and expect results, but I'm not going to define anything. I'll be like a slightly oriented feather on a breeze.

As hard as 2012 was on me, I managed to leave the year behind on a fairly good note. I am happy to say that I am actually in a day job that I enjoy and can be creative in. For the first time in a while I am proud of of what I do from nine until five. You'd think that if you were truly creative all day that you would just want to flop on the couch when you get home and rest, but I've found that it actually juices me up to keep going and work on my own stuff. This led me to produce my first four greeting card designs that are not Christmas related and two tea towel designs. Thanks to the classes I took in October, though I worked hard on production, I actually feel like I MADE something. And to top it all off, I actually SOLD stuff! Yeah, I'm not talking like in the past where I when I said selling stuff I actually meant selling a few to my friends and family. I mean a good 20 or more strangers walked home from a craft sale with a piece of my work. Yes, not enough to make a living just yet, but a really fabulous boost to keep making and designing. I was happy, and I was thrilled to make others happy. Since I'm decidedly not sharing any new plans, I will share photos of the past month and where I've been.

This is a shot of my card production line. Literally, fishing line. Strung across my studio room. Ronaldo was less than thrilled at the clutter, but praised my problem solving anyhow.

This is my little gocco that could. HUNDREDS of cards have been printed with it. Alas, this may be my final print run with it. I am leaning towards going traditional screen print for my next cards.

This is a finished embroidered pillow. I really wanted to make tonnes and sell them with my cards and tea towels. Unfortunately, it ends up that I'm human and can't embroider at the speed of light. I finished two. Oh well.

This is my table at the first of three craft shows I did before the holidays. This is the Hippo craft show. Of the three, this was my most successful. These are the towels!

I loved making these so much that I'm planning on two more to round off the food groups, plus a set aimed at bridal shower season.

This is an assortment of the cards I sold. Some you may recognize from Christmases passed.

TOWELS!

Then, it was Christmas. I celebrated it.

Here's a shot of Ramona getting some cheek lovin'. Just 'cause. Happy New Year!

Paint, stitch, ink, repeat.

2011-11-16T23:34:00.001-05:00

I am busy. You may have guessed that by my lack of presence on this blog. Though I have been neglectful I do have some news and work to share with you.

As I've been mentioning, I have been working on my crafting business and creating a new line of screened tea towels, greeting cards, and embroidered pillows. I will be participating in three craft sales over the next three weeks. As of right now I am nowhere near ready and am nervous but I am doing my best to stay focused and I know that by next Saturday (the first day of sales) that I will be ready.

So, the first show. It's the Hippo Craft Fair!

The fair takes place in Toronto near Christie and St. Clair Ave. To stay up to date on the information about the fair you can visit their facebook page here. If you're in the hood just drop on by!

The second show is this year's Speakeasy Holiday Sale!

Now, I am no spring chicken at this show. In fact, I'd say I the speakeasy team feels like home to me. It's such a great show to participate in and I'm pumped to have my third display of goods. The sale takes place at the Gladstone Hotel at the corner of Queen Street West and Gladstone Ave. in Toronto.

The third show is the Broadlands Winter Festival and Craft Show!

This show is for all you folks north east of Toronto. From the information the planners have provided it is looking to be much more than just an opportunity to pick up some awesome handiwork, so if you plan on coming to this show don't forget your passport to fun! I'm hoping to get in on some gingerbread action myself.

It's not over yet, my friends! I have more for you to see. I have created two teeny weeny itty bitty paintings for a great show that is opening this Saturday the 19th of November at INDEXG gallery just north of the Gladstone Hotel on Gladstone ave.

The idea behind the show is that each participant creates art on one of many identical wood blocks provided by the gallery. They are about the size of a fudgy awesome brownie, hence the name. It's all in the name of making affordable art. None of the art at the show will be over $100 and may even be priced as low as $30. From the preview images on the event's blog it's working out to be a really unique show. The show is opening this Saturday the 19th from 3-6, running until the 18th of December. New artists always welcome throughout the month, so if you've got an itch to paint something tiny just email mail@indexg.com to arrange a brownie pick up and get to work!

Here are mine. Tres cute, n'est pas?

Phew! I think that's enough for the evening. More soon, and next time I will show off some product! I hope to see you at one of these shows!

Got my balls in the air.

2011-11-02T00:07:00.001-04:00

I live my life open to imagination and happiness

through my unique view of the world.

I am fearless, optimistic, and take on any challenge,

always growing, learning, and bettering myself.

I wear my heart on my sleeve

and show my true colours.

This, folks, is my brand spanking new, one of a kind mantra. It's a great example of the fantastic-ness I was able to absorb from my class. Not only did I learn about the financial side of my work, I also learned about myself as a person. How was I able to do anything without defined values that I live my life by and align my work to? It was by far one of the hardest things I've had to do, but I feel much more grounded knowing exactly what I deem most important in everything. When I get frustrated, overwhelmed, or down-trodden, from now on I will go back to my mantra to remind myself why I do what I do in the first place. I am still working on my mission statement and vision but those will also help too. The fact is that it's gettin', it's gettin', it's gettin' kinda hectic in here. All good, of course. I have secured three craft shows so far for the holiday season, which means that I've got to start producing things to sell. This time, I'm working to make money too and I think *fingers crossed* it may finally happen this time.

Here's a shot of some rough work...

...that I refine into final line work....

...and then inked and ready for screen.

I am really looking forward to throwing myself into screen printing. It's new, it's exciting, and it's inspiring to me. This is just the beginning, really, and I can't wait to really explore it. I'm also continuing my embroidery, and continue to add new stitches to my arsenal. I'm hoping to get a bunch of decorative pillows completed to sell over the holidays. Here's a quick preview... what do you think so far?

Now, this is where the mantra comes in handy. The craft shows and prepping for them is not the only project on the go. Perhaps I'm feeling inspired by my new day job (that I actually really like) but I've taken on three more projects (albeit two are fairly small). I'm going to HAVE to put my nose to the grindstone, simply because I promised I would. I'm hoping that everything goes peaches and cream and that I can keep my balls in the air.

I just said balls.

From Maker to Making a Living, class #2: just say yes.

2011-10-05T22:48:00.001-04:00

I've had a day to digest my second class in the workshop series I'm going to be taking for this month. I think I needed it, as last night was a tough one, for me and a lot of my classmates too. Jacqueline's task for the night was to look at all the directions businesses could go in. We're talking blue-skying it. If money wasn't an option, what could I do? You'd think it would be an easy answer, but it's hard not to default back to thinking "I could do that, if I had the money, time, space, etc.". Jacqueline's catch phrase of the night was JUST SAY YES. I have to say it really opened my head to the possibilities I have available. It's funny that though I came into this class thinking that I wanted advice purely for my crafty endeavors. Tea towels and pillows. I went up to Jacqueline after the first class to ensure she knew that though I said I was an illustrator in my introduction that I wasn't intending to bring that part of my business into the class. I'm not sure if you'd call it an "ah ha!" moment or a "duh" moment, but my crafty business IS my illustration business. All my conversation about what I could do with my crafts lead straight to ILLUSTRATE A BOOK. Of course, I didn't talk about how difficult it is to get into a publishing company and that making money in books is hard, I just said yes. It was hard to keep my trap shut, but refreshing after the fact. It's really exciting to see all your potential sprawled across a big, white piece of paper. I really cannot wait until next week's classes!

Now, speaking of just say yes, today we lost an incredible man that did just that and more. I have to make a little shout out to Steve Jobs, as I sit here typing on my third Apple desktop computer. Thank goodness he was one of those guys that saw that the sky has no limit. It really is one thing to have a brilliant mind and limitless imagination, but another to have the guts to use them fully and fearlessly. Macs have changed the way I look at computers, digital media, and, from a girl who once would rather spend hours painting in gouache than open photoshop, digital art. As CBC news stated today, he really was the Henry Ford of our generation. I'm getting a bit teary over here.... anyway, I've wanted to share this speech on my blog since I first heard it, as I've found it to be so utterly inspirational. If you've got 15 minutes I would highly recommend watching it and remembering Steve's genius and heart. I know he's resting in peace knowing he's left the world a much better place.

From Maker to Making a Living, class #1: same problem, different boats.

2011-10-03T23:40:00.001-04:00

Wow! What a great start to a month of learning! I know for sure that signing up for this workshop series was a great idea. Jacqueline is even more amazing in real life than she is on paper (or web page) and I am looking forward to taking in all her words of wisdom and learning from her experiences.

There are ten business owners participating, including myself. Tonight was about getting to know a little about everyone's businesses and history, and determining the key issues we all have in making successes of them. I don't know why (ego, maybe?) but I figured that I would here similar stories to my own. Boy, I couldn't have been more off. The areas of craft were wide spread, from weaving to jewellery, furniture making to ceramics. Though everyone had a different perspective on their issues, there were definitely a few common threads. I'm looking forward to seeing the progression of my fellow classmates, and myself.

My first homework assignment was to breathe (lots of information in one night), and then write down what I see my dream business to be. So I started jotting down ideas, and really thinking about it. At the end of the day, my dream business is along the lines of one of my favourite illustrators, Susie Ghahremani of Boy Girl Party. Look to your right and you'll see the permanent link to her site. She's really got it all. She sells stationary and such that gets produced by a third party, necklaces, bags, etc., all featuring her amazing characters. In addition she sells prints of her work, and original paintings. In addition to all of this she's able to participate in art shows AND she's an active illustrator. I like to read her personal blog too, as she is honest about the issues a creative business owner has. Plus, she's funny. Hopefully if I share this with Jacqueline she'll have a better idea of my goals.

So, homework done for the night. I'm a bit of a keener. Now this keener is going to try to read more of her book club book that needs to be done by Thursday. Class number 2 tomorrow!

Back to school.

2011-10-02T21:22:00.000-04:00

That's right, kids. I'm about to start some learning. Tomorrow night I start an eight class workshop called From Maker to Making a Living put on by the ever wonderful Ontario Craft Council. The lectures are being led by the very successful Jacqueline Sava of Soak, a money-making crafter extrordinaire. From Maker to Making a Living is a series of classes designed to guide craftspeople through the process of understanding, designing and building their individual businesses. Obviously, if you've read even a few posts on my blog, this has been my pursuit and dream since forever. You would also notice that I've not had amazing results as of yet. I am conceptualizing a whole new plan of action for my handiwork and am hoping that these classes will not only get my plan off the ground, but allow me to keep up a momentum. I will be posting a little bit about each class after I've attended it, starting with tomorrow night. I'm actually really excited to interact not only with a business mentor, but to meet people who are in the same ship as me.

Stay tuned tomorrow! Off to get ready for class!

Catch up.

2011-09-26T22:48:00.001-04:00

Well, hello there.
It's now officially fall. Here in Toronto it couldn't be more beautiful. The Sunnyside Pavilion art show was a wonderful weekend. The three day show was full of lots of friendly guests, live musical performances, and hot weather. The Toronto waterfront is a totally awesome place to throw an art show, so kudos to the organizers for picking such a dream venue.

This time I thought I would invest in my own tent.

The decision was definitely cost effective one, but the blueness of the tent made everything under it dark, and, well, a little blue. Next year I plan on either splurging on a white tent and sending this one to the land of kijiji or attempting to make a white one myself. We'll see which option is the most cost effective.

I was able to get a few new pieces completed for the event. I've posted them up on my website, but here are a few shots for you to oogle right here and now.

I'm pretty happy with the work that I was able to complete, especially considering August just wasn't my month. I was able to sell a few paintings, but am now thinking that I need to get back into a craft mode and see if I can make more money if I sell screen printed versions of my art on tea towels (not handmade by me this time) and work on some custom embroidered decorative pillows for the upcoming Christmas craft season. In my next post I'll tell you about the workshop classes I'm taking to help make sure the third time really is the charm when it comes to my crafty endeavors. In the meantime, head over to clairemanning.com to see the rest of the art from the show.

C'mon down to the lake!

2011-09-08T00:11:00.000-04:00

I have been a busy bee preparing to show my wares at the upcoming Sunnyside Juried Art Show this weekend and I am getting excited thinking it's only a few days away! Of course, if you are in Toronto, or near Toronto, or have friends that like art in Toronto, I would love to see as many people as possible. I love visiting and chatting with people, especially since I've all but shut myself off from the social world for the past few weeks, going cross-eyed making beautiful new paintings. I know I'll be feeling talkative. Anyway, a re-cap on the info.

Please visit the website link above for additional information, or stay up to date through the show's facebook page. I will be located on the upper level of the pavilion in booth #2. Come by and you can pick up one of my brand spankin' new business cards!

I just received them in the mail yesterday and I love them! I needed to update my card in a huge way. Big thanks to Richard Meneely at USB cards out of New Jersey for the beautiful job and the extremely fast turnaround. I love the letter press and it's so fitting that it's on chip board. Richard offers a number of natural surfaces on which to have your cards pressed. He's also known for printing on recycled cereal boxes. Not really my thing, but cool nonetheless.

Please don't forget to stop by the Sunnyside pavilion for a visit this weekend if you are in Toronto. I will likely blog on location, for those who want a play by play but can't be there in person.

Now, back to work! G'night!

Before and after.

2011-09-03T22:05:00.001-04:00

Here I am, a week before the big Sunnyside Art Show weekend. It's also the first week of September. It's been the fastest summer on record for me. I say this mostly because I lost August for the most part. I thought I would concentrate on the beginning of the month and the end, and less about the nasty middle.

So, Ronaldo and I ended up going to New York City for the first weekend of August. It was incredible. Great food, lots of sightseeing and walking, and a visit to Fishes Eddy! I was so excited and bought a few things. If I were independently wealthy and came on the plane with more than carry on luggage I would have bought more.

The after has been very busy, as I simply did not plan to lose a month. I have been able to do quite a bit of painting and have some more time to work on some additional pieces in the upcoming week.

I have a week because I am transitioning into another position with a new company. This company is not only very close to home, but it's smaller with a more boutique feel to it. I'm actually pretty excited to see where it takes me. I'm thankful for the extra time to prepare. I will update with information about next weekend's show on Monday. Be then I should know where my booth location is.

Enjoy your weekend!

Claire DOES NOT Love... rashes.

2011-08-17T22:21:00.000-04:00

Well, here I am, over a week since my last post, with another sad post. I have been fighting a bacterial infection called cellulitis in my leg that sent me to the hospital for three days last week. This infection is accompanied my a painful, swollen rash. I have been taking antibiotics and taking it easy for a week and things were starting to look up for me. That is, until this morning when I woke up with an itchy head-to-toe rash. Yes, another rash. This one is a reaction to a drug that I was taking to get rid of the other one. Sigh. I'm stuck with this one for two weeks. The good news is that it isn't going to change my recovery from the cellulitis, it's not contagious, and it's not dangerous to me. I'm lucky enough to have a great group of friends that have been taking care of me and watching out for me. These are some flowers from a couple of them, Raquel and Ryan. I am incredibly grateful for all of my friends.

With that in mind I am pushing through and working when I can. I am prepping for the show coming up in a few weeks and hoping I'll have more than a few new pieces to show off. I'm still trying to find the balance between working and recovering. The last thing I need to do is make myself more sick and rashy by not taking care of myself.

As Ronaldo has so kindly quoted, "no more rashes". I consider it my new mantra.

Taking the good with a healthy dose of bad.

2011-08-06T18:58:00.001-04:00

Hello folks!
It's been a while, no? Well, I have apologize for that. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. I was fortunate enough to return to the Printsource show with my day job at the beginning of the week. Ronaldo and I opted to add Saturday and Sunday to my Monday and Tuesday work schedule. The whole experience was great. I was at the airport in New York ready to head home when I got the message that my Grandpa had passed in his sleep that morning. I swooped from a pretty big high to a very low low. It was a total shock. I had only seen him a week and a half ago and he was doing well. I have to say, in the midst of this bad news, that I couldn't have been luckier to grow up with two sets of amazing grand parents. As much as I miss them now some folks don't get the chance to know their grand parents at all. My low got even lower at I contracted a deep tissue infection in my right leg that made me so physically ill that I was unable to attend my Grandpa's funeral. I'm now pretty much lower than low at this point. I will be digging deep to continue working on artwork for an upcoming art show.

Have I forgotten to tell you about this art show? Let me fill you in!

It's the Sunnyside Beach Juried Art Show & Sale. It's happening at the Sunnyside pavilion off of Lakeshore West in Toronto during the second weekend of September. Please visit the show's facebook page for more information.

For tonight I've got a date with my rashy leg, Ramona, my couch and some netflix. Hopefully tomorrow brings a bit of goodness.

Bunny love.

2011-07-18T15:31:00.000-04:00

That's right. I'm in love. With a bunny.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take a visit to the ever popular Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. It happens every year during the second weekend in July. Though I was not accepted to participate this year a few of my friends were and I went to support. It was a great show, but I really can't wait until the construction that plagues the location of the event to be completed so that more artists have the opportunity to participate. Particularly me.

I always go to the show with a little money in my pocket as I know that I will always find something I like and enjoy supporting fellow artists, even on my meager budget. This year I knew the minute I saw the booth that I wanted one of Sonja Ahlers beautiful bunnies.

Sonja spreads her time around Vancouver, Whitehorse, and Toronto (though I heard that she's not often in Toronto) and has been evolving her amazing bunnies since the mid 1990's. They are made from hand picked vintage sweaters that she boils to felt the fabric and hand dyes. They have been featured in magazines, museums, galleries and movies (namely one that involves a lame shimmery vampire and a lovesick teenager). She uses the earnings on these sweet guys to help fund her other art projects. I've seen Sonja's work at The Magic Pony before, but only one at a time. To see a whole booth of them was almost too much for my heart.

I have a thing for artsy toys and have a little collection that I've grown over the years.

Sonja's bunny fits in well. Even Ramona gives her seal of approval.

Sonja uses the extra scraps of sweater to make little shawls. Each one is had sewn with care.

My bunny came in a cute little peach teacup. It makes me happy just to look like.

It seems this purchase opened a floodgate. They say things happen in threes, and I suppose art toy purchases follow in that tradition. This is a hand made, hand painted little guy from a friend of mine, Gosia, who participated in this year's exhibition. I adore him too!

And just this weekend while at my favourite store in Kensington market, Good Egg, I found this bird whistle. At $4.00 I couldn't say no. The whistle blows (haha!) but the bird is sweet as can be.

Now it's time for me to start saving my money for my big trip to New York City. My day job will be sending me to attend the upcoming print show and Ronaldo and I are taking the weekend before as a mini vacation. Until then I've got loads of stuff to do. I will share it all with you!

Biking in the city, Claire style.

2011-07-17T20:00:00.001-04:00

Have you melted yet? For goodness sake- go get yourself a popsicle or something before you read this post!

Okay- cooling device in hand? Let's continue. So, new work! I was asked to create a piece for the cover of the Toronto section of the National Post for this passed weekend. Yes, you can still find a copy of it likely until the end of the night of you'd like to see it in person. Otherwise, here are a few shots of it to look at digitally.

Courtesy of Claire Manning

So, what do you think? The concept surrounded maneuvering the oddly placed park spaces in Toronto on a bike. I had a great time working on this piece. I chose to hand paint this with acrylic, and then added some touches (mainly the plaid patterns) in Photoshop afterwards. It's been a while since I've done work for the Post. I feel a bit nostalgic creating art for them as they were who gave me my big break and first payed gig as an illustrator. Thanks for the work, Post, and I hope to work with you again soon!

Illustration Mondays.

2011-07-05T10:31:00.000-04:00

It's Tuesday!

Today is a vacation day for me. A little relaxation in the hazy summer is an okay thing. After nearly a week off of day job tomorrow will be a bit of a downer. I still have this whole day ahead of me and I plan on making the most of it, including a bike ride and a trip to Chapters to do some potential client research. I figure if they aren't coming to me that I will go to them. Checking out magazine mastheads is a great way to find out who the current art director is.

Before I get into illustration Mondays, I wanted to share a piece of my weekend with you.

Originally published on TheState.com, photo by Sean Kilpatrick AP

Yes, that is me in my finest red Canada day dress, running for my life on Parliament hill in Ottawa amongst the half million that came to see the newly wed royal couple. It really was a case of run or be run over. I ran all the way to the front of the stage, got hit by the wave of people, and then tried to find my group and head back to an open spot away from the die hard Will and Kate fans. Thankfully, no one was hurt. We found a comfortable spot to sit and relax and enjoy the festivities in our nation's capital.

Now, illustration Mondays. There is a website out there called Illustration Fridays. Every Friday the folks on this site send out a form of inspiration, usually words of some sort. I've decided that much like I'd exercise my body I need to exercise my illustration abilities, so on my Mondays I am creating a quickie illustration study based on their inspirational word(s). The idea is not to make it perfect, just get an idea down and finish it as fast as possible. Here are my first two.

Monday June 27th: Midsummer's Night

Monday July 4th: Remedy

So far I've found it a fun practice. I will keep posting them here for your viewing pleasure.

Now, off to enjoy my vacation day! Keep cool everyone!

Hitting the ground running.

2011-06-30T10:08:00.000-04:00

Good morning!

One more day until I celebrate Canada's birthday. I am heading to our nation's capital, Ottawa, for some royal watching. My goal is to be able to add Kate Middleton as a friend on my facebook by the time I come home on Sunday. Perhaps I'm aiming high.... I'd be satisfied if she'd "like" my fan page.

Reeling it back to illustration, I can share with you some work that I did in the spring. I was asked to paint running shoes for various promotions by the fine folks at the CIBC Run For the Cure. I was totally honoured to participate in this project, as I have participated in this run a few times and I am a big supporter of the cause. There are three different scenarios. As far as I know this is the first one. It was printed various times in the Globe and Mail this week. I'm keeping my eye out for the other two and will share them with you once I see them.

Here are some shots of the actual shoe. It was definitely a challenge to paint on the bumpy plains of a true running shoe, but the more I painted the easier it got. You've just got to go with the ups and downs and not fight them.

Have a great Canada Day, fellow Canadians!

Beautiful things.

2011-06-14T12:18:00.000-04:00

To preface, I am home today with a terrible face rash. I don't know where it came from, but it's itchy, painful, and make's me look like an ogre's bride. Not too happy about the rash. Anyway, to make myself feel better, I wanted to write about some pretty stuff that I've seen lately that definitely turns my swollen red frown upside down.

First thing is courtesy of an old college friend, Gosia. She makes the world a cuter place and for that I am one of her biggest fans. She's an illustrator, but over the past few years she has turned into a fabulous sculptor as well, and makes these gorgeous nymph like characters (opposite of ogre, might I say) that would melt your heart. This weekend, as my rash lay just under my skin, ready to ravage my face, I went to see an exhibit that featured one of Gosia's sculptures.

Amazing, no?


Copyright Gosia 2011

The second thing that I discovered last week was an online store FULL of beautiful things. It's Fishs Eddy! Fishs Eddy is a housewares store that is located in New York City originally and carries not only those classic kitchenware pieces, but a lot of graphically touched pieces that make me want to start painting plates.

Well, just watch this video and you'll see what I mean.

It literally gives me heart palpitations to watch this. I can tell you where I will be going the net time I'm in NYC! Anyway, they are currently carrying a collection of Charley Harper dinnerware.

Charley Harper is on my top five list of the BEST illustrators EVER. He passed in 2007, leaving behind a world of beautiful nature inspired artwork.

The graphic and geometric way that he approached his art is a constant inspiration for my own work. His colours are vibrant his composition is incredible. His work is totally classic and timeless.

Wow! It's funny, but even now after writing this post my face feels a little less on fire. I think I'll try to keep up the good feeling by NOT looking in the mirror today and creating some beauty of my own in my sketchbook.

Have a pretty little day!

That warm, fuzzy feeling.

2011-06-08T00:11:00.000-04:00

Yes, the warm weather has arrived. Some may say it's muggy, but it really does give me a fuzzy wuzzy feeling inside. I was clearly meant to be born south of the equator. Cold weather and me are oil and vinegar. I love every sweaty minute of the summer and am looking forward to three solid months of it.

June has brought more than just a sun tan for me. I am June's artist of the month at Three in a Box! You can check out my profile here. I know that I've mentioned the fine folks at Three in a Box before, but just as a refresher, they are my artist representatives. There are three reps here in Toronto and one across the pond in London, UK. I enjoy having representatives. It's nice to know that there is always someone that has your back and that believes in your work. They do good work and I am honoured to be their artist pick for June.

Now on to the work that comes through Three in a Box. I can now share with you the latest illustration project that has just gone into publication. I completed 5 spot illustrations for the magazine Canadian Underwriter. For these spots I used a slightly different technique than usual. I played with opacity of the fills to create a slightly watercolour, softer feel while still using my ink line work.


Copyright Claire Manning

You can see the rest on my website and on the Canadian Underwriter website. They were a great client to work with. It's been a while since I've done business themed work and it was nice to get into it again. I'm happy with the way that they all turned out.

I spent my day yesterday running errands (so I could be in the sun) and sanding old frames to refinish them. I have lots of little tasks to do, and, as long as the sun is shining, I will do as many of them outside as I can.

Claire Loves... Balboa.

2011-05-31T23:05:00.000-04:00

Ahhh. After a month of working full time at my day job I just spent my first Monday at home. It was a breath of fresh air. I painted and it was glorious. I actually have plenty to tell you about, but one thing at a time. For now, I need to tell you about a musical gem.

Balboa was conceived of by one of Ronaldo's good friends, Raffi Der Ghazarian. A huge fan of the Rocky movie series, he and Ronaldo thought it would be great if there was a cover band that only played the songs from these iconic movies. And so it was. Balboa. That was nearly 4 years ago, and though they usually only play once a year, it's easily one of the most anticipated nights for me. The band consists of Raffi and Ronaldo on guitar, Warren Bray on bass, Eric Cohen on drums, and the incredible duo of John Rogers and Phil Naro on keyboards and vocals respectively. Phil and John are full time rockers. Their hair is almost as impressive as their talents!

Ronaldo has made a series of cool, retro posters to celebrate the event. He's a super talent. Lucky me that he's all mine!

My favourite of the three that he made is this one. I love the iconic simplicity.

Just think. Eye of the Tiger. Living in America. Hearts on Fire. It's pure gold. The next show is this Friday night in Toronto at the El Mocambo (just south of College St. on the west side of Spadina Ave.). For more info have a peep at the band's website and facebook page. If you are in the city on Friday night you ought to clear you calendar and c'mon down! We can cheers the Italian Stallion's legacy together.

TROPHY. Care of Jon Todd.

2011-05-29T17:45:00.001-04:00

So, I went to illustration school with the uber talented and all around nice guy Jon Todd. He's pretty much become a gallery darling in Montreal, Toronto, and L.A. I am pretty proud to say that I have a Jon Todd in my tiny art collection. I'm glad I bought it when I did, as I wouldn't be able to afford his work now. Talent costs, people. Here's the piece on my wall beside my studio set up, along with an illustrated tile from my friend Thadeus Maximus (or Ted, to me!)

Artwork by Jon Todd

Pretty sweet, no? I Have pretty much based any art purchases I've made on whether it will go well with this one. I adore it.

Anyway, Jon has a show running in Toronto this month and it opened on Friday. The show is called TROPHY and it's running at Smash Gallery, which is located slightly west of Keele St. and Dundas St West here in Toronto. The show is on through until next Thursday June 2nd. Check out Jon's website for more details on hours, etc.

The show was amazing. It's great to be able to see progress in an artist and Jon definitely had his newness on display. His new work has much more detailed elements. I really liked his use of this sketchy line work that he filled aspects of his paintings with. The different details and texture he layers into his work makes it fun and interesting to look at.

Artwork by Jon Todd

Aside from the artwork, the event brought out many familiar faces from my college days. Some faces that I haven't seen SINCE college. Some I saw last week. Jon had constructed a huge wrestling ring right in the centre of the show. Here he is with a few buddies hanging out in it.

Then they started to wrestle. Don't worry. No one was injured in the making of this photo.

It was tremendous to be able to catch up, find out what's new, remember the old, have a few beers and talk art. I couldn't have asked for a better Friday night.

Don't forget to check out TROPHY this week if you're in Toronto before it shuts down.

Workin' it in the rain.

2011-05-15T22:10:00.000-04:00

This, my friends, has been the prettiest part of the whole weekend. The May flowers are certainly here and beautiful. Unfortunately, the April showers have not taken the hint and scrammed. Today was ugly. I decided to go for a walk with Ronaldo anyway. I am happy I did because after years of admiring The Workroom and the fabulous Make Something blog, I finally went in to the store.

Courtesy of BlogTO.com

The Workroom is located freakishly close to my house at 1340 Queen Street West. It is brimming with beautiful fabric, wonderful books, and offer a wide variety of sewing classes at all levels. They have a free monthly "stitch-n-bitch" that I will attend when I have my new embroidery project underway. And, in the case today, they put on some amazing craft and hand work sales called Trunk Shows. I was lucky enough to run across the Spring Trunk Show.


Copyright Claire Manning

The place was packed and it had a great creative vibe. It was just what I needed to get in the mood to do my own work. I made some purchases on the show side, but was completely mesmerized with the colour coordinated wall of fabric.

I ended up falling in love with a floral laminated cotton. I bought the last of it and am planning on making myself a work tote.

As usual, my little super model had to get into the shot. I think she outdid herself- what's more beautiful? Ramona or the fabric? Seriously.

Information on all the neat things The Workroom has to offer just head to their website, www.theworkroom.ca. If you live in Toronto I would recommend a drop in for sure.

Down, but not out.

2011-05-10T21:56:00.000-04:00

It's been a frustrating few days.

I was mentioning a while ago that I had applied to an assortment of annuals and exhibits, etc. Waiting for the responses was hard, but actually getting responses has proven to be much harder. Let's just say that they have been less than desirable so far. It's never easy to get rejection. I admit, I had a mini pity party. A little black rain cloud sat firmly over my head on Friday night. I may or may not have though or said "why am I doing this?", "I'm never going to be good enough", and "I should just give up". Silly of me, really. As much as I would like to blame the world for my misgivings I know deep down that it's all in my control to make sure that the next time I send out an application the response is yes. So, I turned my frown upside down and got the out the paints.

I'm starting small with completing another Christmas present. This one is for my dear friend Em (Not to be confused with sister Em). As disappointed as I was, I felt much better with brush in hand.

The more that I work at it, the better I will become and it will bring in the work that I want. There is no room for self doubt in the art world and so I will not hold any. There are lots of projects in my queue and I am looking forward to tackling them and showing the results. Here's a sneak peek at another present that I'm working on. Can you guess what it is?

Onward and upward, I say.

Semi-digital.

2011-05-07T12:53:00.000-04:00

It's the first weekend in May and FINALLY spring has shown it's pretty face. I've started biking to my carpool everyday and am enjoying the fact that I can.

So, what is "semi-digital" you may ask? It's a term that my Mom coined a few years back. When digital cameras came on the scene my whole family fell for the new technology. Everyone but my Mom. She loved her old camera, that used this strange film called advantix. She felt that since she received a CD with her pictures on it and that there was a digital photo counter on the back of the camera that it was practically digital. Or semi-digital. Eventually our family deemed it her "semi-dig" camera. As the years went by advantix film became scarce and fully digital cameras became the norm, Mom stayed true to her "semi-dig". We even bought her a nice new fancy digital one and she still found ways to use her old technology. It was always "Oh! Well, I just found these 5 rolls of film in a drawer at the cottage- I can't put them to waste! Once they are done I will retire the semi-dig". She must have stashed film all over the place because this went on for YEARS. In fact, the official "last photo" took place in November last year. It was momentous to her, and a LONG time coming for the rest of the family. I am happy to say that she hasn't looked back. and she hasn't found more film. Technology 1, Mom 0. Actually I'd say it's win-win.

As much as I made fun of my Mom for holding on to the past and not giving in to the latest and greatest I have to say that I do the same thing. It actually applies to my illustration work in a big way. When I graduated from college I created my illustrations 100% traditionally. In fact, I didn't even have a scanner at the time so in some cases I would hand deliver original work to art directors. More or less, this is the way that I worked for the first four years of my career. In 2008 I started using photoshop and illustrator not just to enhance and correct my art, but also to pretty much create it. I found that it saved time on all sides of the process, and the final product looked cleaner and brighter. I could pick and chose colours, and if I made a mistake or didn't like the way something turned out I didn't have to start over again- a control Z here and magic wand tool there and "presto!", instant do-over! Though I still create original paintings for exhibition and will always hand ink my line work for my illustrations, I have been working "semi-digitally" for years now.

Just recently I have been looking back on my body of work and comparing the differences between my digital illustrations and my hand painted illustrations. Though some may say, especially with my clean style, that you can barely notice a difference, I totally can. Here is an example:

This is some of my hand painted work, using gouache and ink.

I can see the subtle details and variances in the paint strokes, but I painted it. Perhaps you don't see what I see.

This is an example of my semi-dig work: inked by hand, but coloured and constructed in Photoshop.

Using this technique allows me to layer colours and create clean cut outs in colour, like in the grass and with the buildings in the background.

Here is a side by side comparison of some spots I did for Canadian Family Magazine. The red head girl is hand painted over an actual cut out of kraft paper. The sunny baby is digitally layered. Can you tell the difference? I can. One took considerably longer to do. But the question remains: is it worth the time? Is there anything missing in the digital format rather than the original painting? I am feeling nostalgic for the days when I would have physical art at the end of a job instead of just some black and white line work on illustration board. Recently I was asked to do five spots for a magazine. I was intending on creating them with paint, but then decided to go digital at the last minute. I think they turned out really well, but a part of me wishes I stuck with my original plan. My next illustration, regardless of what it is, I will hand paint.

Seeing as it's Mother's Day tomorrow I'm glad I got to write a little about mine. Though I deny it, I guess we do have some common traits. I am my mother's daughter after all!

Have a great day to all you Mommies out there!

Patience is a virtue.

2011-04-28T22:42:00.001-04:00

And yet, all I want to do is curl up in front of the TV out of the crazy rainy weather here in Toronto. Maybe watch a royal wedding. I am totally looking forward to the Will and Kate nuptials tomorrow morning, who's kidding who.

On to what's been on the to do list and what is left to do. As I mentioned in prior posts, I've been hand painting shoes for job. Though it was a time consuming and exhausting job I had an amazing time actually painting. I often need to work fast and have the wonder of Photoshop to fall back on if I smudge up an illustration. In opposite fashion I took my time and exercised patience to make sure that the shoe art fit what the art director needed. Removing the "rush" aspect of the process also removed the "frustration" part of it. I felt calm and confident. I learned to adapt my painting style to work on the bumpy surface to create readable images. I'm happy with the way all five shoes turned out and I can't wait to share the whole finished product with you when it comes out. Until then, you'll have to make due with these shots.

I have been working on roughs for another illustration job (on paper) and have used the same care to come up with concepts for it. This weekend I will be working on the finals this weekend and will be taking the time to make them perfect.

I am really pumped that I'm starting to make some income on my Mondays. I am bound and determined to keep up the momentum. I have loads of applications for various things out in the atmosphere and am definitely using patience while waiting for responses. Of course, the minute I hear anything at all it will be all over this blog.

I'm grateful that my friends are being patient while waiting for their long overdue Christmas presents. I am working on them now and will get them completed before Mothers' Day. Here's a little preview to prove my progress.

It's getting late and I have an early morning of wedding watching ahead of me. Off to bed I go. Nighty night!

Claire Loves... Jillian Tamaki.

2011-04-18T09:47:00.001-04:00

Mornin', folks!

This is a quickie post, as I have to head out to the vet in mere minutes. I just wanted to share an amazing find I made over the weekend. It isn't, in fact, Jillian Tamaki as you would assume from the title of this post. I've known of and admired the work of one of Canada's best illustrator's for a long time. Seriously. I want an empire like her's one day. Anyway, Jillian recently had the COOLEST illustration gig I have ever heard of. She was commissioned by Penguin Books to create classic book covers using embroidery. I know... FREAKING EMBROIDERY!!

From Jillian Tamaki Sketchblog

I have professed my love of all things embroidery since I first started this blog. Jillian's handiwork blows my mind from a technical and creative standpoint. The variety of stitches alone makes me want to pull out my Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Embroidery Stitches and get learning!

From Jillian Tamaki Sketchblog

There are three in the series (Black Beauty as well) and they hit the book stores in the Fall. I am happy for the early sneak peek, but will have a hard time waiting to purchase them. I highly recommend checking out Jillians sketchblog to read all about the process of making these gems and her illustration site to check out the other amazing things she does. As I type and look at these covers it takes my breath away. It's definitely inspiring me to work on my own embroidery more. For now though, I have a kitty waiting to have her stitches removed and three more running shoes to paint (the client must have liked the first one!).

Ciao!

A little rain won't kill you.

2011-04-11T15:10:00.000-04:00

It's Monday again! Every week that passes by I look forward to my Mondays working at home more and more.

Spring has finally arrived in Toronto, thank goodness. Though there have been a few beautiful sunny days, as with any April there has been some showery days too. Yesterday morning was one of them, and I took the time to start up a painting that I sketched out a few weeks ago. It was meant to be for an art show themed around the weather. I missed out on the submission deadline for the show, but I thought I would channel what was happening outside into my rainy day painting.

I just finished it up this afternoon. It's called Rain That Comes in Sideways. For some reason I've been looking for a reason to paint up some seagulls and here was a perfect chance. I may not love the rain, but I love the things that come along with rain. Rubber boots, umbrellas, puddles, and splishy splashy birds.

Of course, like clockwork, my little lady came around for her glamour shot. She's getting dynamic with her posing, sitting up on two legs. Update from last week: Ramona did indeed get a spay (notice the beautiful cone) but Ronaldo and I couldn't go through with the de-clawing. I guess I can look forward to lots of scratch marks in the future.

I actually based the painting on a frame I had finished last summer. I think it suits it perfectly. I will be bringing it in to a local framer soon to be professionally framed. I will be starting to re-finish frames again now that the weather is starting to improve. I've already found a potential solution to my wind problems from last year. I'll share it with you once I've tested it out.

I'm going back to the drawing board for the rest of this afternoon. It's time to start conceptualizing more paintings and products to create! Enjoy your spring showers!

Pillow talk.

2011-04-04T13:14:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! It's a rainy day here in Toronto- the perfect kind of day to be stuck inside working on loads of projects. It's exactly what I am doing today! I had some corrections to make on a map of the world I am illustrating for a kids book. Though only a map, not too creative, it's my first piece to be published in a real life book and I'm as pleased as punch. I will break the news of it's release right here so stay tuned.

My second project of the day that I've wrapped up is a Christmas present. Yes. I know it's April. I still have a few more presents to finish. I'm hoping to be finished with all of them before the midway point of the year. This is when I really should get started on Christmas 2011 gifts if I want to actually finish them on time. Sheesh.

Anyway, the present that I finished today is for a pretty important girl- Leanna. Without Leanna I would never have survived a year of back and forth to Mississauga. Not only does she bubble over with positive attitude and is an awesome friend. She also has the car that takes me on my daily trip to the 9-5 office. She deserves an extra special present. So I made her a set of hand embroidered pillows!

The process of making these pillows was, in conception, quite easy. In actual manufacturing, it was much more time consuming. I changed my mind a million times on colours, design, and made mistakes. Lessons learned from this experience: first, the only way I can trust the embroidery floss colour codes is if I keep them organized. Second, is that if I'm blindly trusting the colour codes I should always embroider in the daylight. It would have saved me a bit of time in re-doing if I had followed these two. Third is that I should measure twice, cut once. Or design twice, do once in this instance. When I decided that the mustard yellow I was using was ruining everything it was after I had already added it to both pillow tops. Definitely should have thought that one out beforehand. At the end of the day (or three months in this case) I ended up with a couple of beautiful pillows that I think will look lovely in Leanna's home.

The last stitch/ behind the scenes

I swear that my little lady Ramona thinks she is trying out for America's Next Top Kitty Model every time I get out the camera. I went to set up the pillows for a shot and look who decides to sneak her way in. I decided not to fight it and let her have her way. Tomorrow she goes in to be spayed and de-clawed (I know- "BOO", "HISS", but you haven't seen my hands or couch) and she is princess for the day.

Look at how she smiles with her eyes.

Here they are on a couch. This was my first experience making pillows and I would totally do it again. Only I'd do it better.

Finally, some catless shots.

It's my Claire Monday today, and I was sent a job earlier this morning that is pretty amazing. I'm to sure if I can expose the project just yet, but I will say that it's for a charity ad and I get to paint a running shoe for it! The shoe is being couriered to me this afternoon. I'm hoping to get a few more items checked off my to do list before it arrives, so back to work for me.

Hope you like the pillows!

Claire Loves... Enoteca Sociale and Retro Whale!

2011-03-26T14:00:00.001-04:00

Good afternoon!

It's sunny here in the T dot, but I'm not fooled. Mother Nature is on a mean streak and she's made the city so cold it could freeze her titties off. Not nice, lady. Anyway, I have to keep this short as Ronaldo and I have to brave the cold to go bottle the brunello we ordered 5 weeks ago. A big HIP HIP HOORAY for having a huge supply of wine in the house again!! That is a love I will get into another day.

Today, I want to share an incredible restaurant that I've recently been to in my hood. Ronaldo and I have walked past it for nearly a year, always mentioning as we saw it "we really need to try that place out". I've had their postcard pinned to my peg board forever as well, serving as another reminder.

Finally on March ninth, the 35th anniversary of the birth of the hottest man alive, I had my chance to go. I don't know what I was waiting for. The Restaurant, called Enoteca Sociale, specializes in authentic, home-style Roman fare. During my blog absence in the fall I turned 30 and to celebrate Ronaldo and I went to Italy and we spent the majority of that trip in Rome. The food was exactly as I remembered it to be when we were there. The only downfall to this Enoteca is that I couldn't eat everything on the menu, and frankly I think this is more to blame on my stomach than the restaurant.

I decided to go with a classic carbonara. Funny enough, the wine here is a brunello! I savoured every sip and bite. Check out their website to see the whole beautiful menu and to make a reservation. On Sundays they offer a special "family style" dinner that I am hoping to check out in the not too distant future with some "family style" people. Anyone up for it?

Beyond the incredible food, the design and decor of the joint was fantastic. The lighting was warm and there were lots of wood accents. Very homey. I have to say that the best part of the whole place was a focal wall COVERED with the most amazing, eye-catching, "oh-my-gosh-that's-SO-cute" artwork. There were probably a good 40 to 50 little to medium sized pieces. Thanks to knowledgeable wait staff and my iPhone I very quickly found that it was all done by one artist- Retro Whale.

Out. Of. This. World. Retro Whale is based out of L.A. and, as described on their website, their inspiration comes from "animals, movies, outsider art, skate and surf culture, and anything that makes them laugh". I sat beside this beret wearing boston terrier and was in awe all night. Upon further investigation I found that they have not only a website, but a blog and a very active and affordable Etsy store. THIS is the business that one day I want to be able to say I have. Last week I made another step towards this goal by actually uploading my first sale item to my OWN Etsy page! That's right- it's not going to be "coming soon, clearly" anymore. I am selling my ABC giclee prints on it to start, but I am developing some other products to sell and will likely upload other prints soon. I've also added links to PayPal from the paintings that available for purchase on my website. EXCITING! Hopefully I can find some loving homes for my artwork.

In the meantime I will sip my homemade wine and dream about the next time I will go back to my newly found neighbourhood gem.

A big green thank you.

2011-03-20T18:04:00.001-04:00

A very belated happy St. Patrick's day to you! I hope that you celebrated as the Irish do. As I posted last week, my big ECO arts exhibition at Gallery 1313 was the same evening. I was excited to be invited to be in the show. Once I arrived at the opening and saw the caliber of work that my work was sharing wall space with I was totally honoured that I was picked. The gallery itself is a total gem- amazing space and great atmosphere. The curator and director of Gallery 1313, Phil Anderson, did a spectacular job of balancing the varied styles, mediums, and sizes of the works. It was beautiful, and so Phil gets my first big green thank you. My second big green thank you goes to all my wonderful friends and colleagues that came out to the event. I know that were many other places to be and pints of green beer to be drinking so I appreciate that they were there. Actually, thanks to EVERYONE who came out. I hope you liked the show! Here are a few shots from the night.

If these have tickled your fancy to see it all for yourself it is not to late, my friend. The show runs until March 27th, next Sunday. You can find Gallery 1313's hours of operation on their website. Lots of fun stuff to share with you next week, including an amazing artsy Toronto chow spot, a new blog discovery, and some work news. For now, go enjoy the rest of the first day of Spring!

Sometimes when a door closes....

2011-03-12T19:26:00.000-05:00

I have had a small stroke of luck!

The piece that I wrote about last week that I missed the deadline to submit to a certain show is actually going to be displayed at another show starting next week. I was on Akimbo last week (which is a great artist resource, by the way) and found another gallery's call for submission that had a deadline that I could meet no problem and that's show theme fell into what I had just painted. I submitted and was accepted! Totally lucky girl, eh?

Sourced from www.g1313.org

The show is at Gallery 1313, at 1313 Queen Street West here is Toronto. The show is called ECO ART exhibition 2011 and will feature artists from across Canada depicting ecological and environmental issues and subjects through their work. This show is leading up to Earth Hour, where the world's occupants are to turn off their power sources for one hour between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM. It's really neat to see in a city as big as Toronto. The whole place goes dark! It's a statement with impact to say the least.

The show opens on Thursday March 17th. This is possibly the greenest day of the year, even if it's not so linked to the environment. I would be honoured if you would join me at the opening from 7-9PM that night. If you can't make it that evening do not fear. The show runs from March 16th though March 27th. Please visit the Gallery 1313 website for details on location and hours.

Hope to see you there!

The life of a painting.

2011-03-07T22:52:00.002-05:00

I spent this weekend working on a new piece to be submitted to a gallery show call for entry. Yesterday at 5 was the deadline. I realized at 3 that I was not going to make it. Big bummer. At the end of the day it's my fault for leaving it so long, but all is not lost. I really loved what I created. I took pictures along to journey from concept to final and wanted to share my process.

So, first is the concept. The theme of the show is hybrids. I started working on rough concepts a couple of weeks ago.

Usually I start by writing my ideas down and drawing super duper rough sketches. This is how I narrow down to one idea. At this point in this particular case I had to set everything aside to work on another project.

I came back to this painting a week after my first sketches and did another round of roughs. These ones are based around the best idea I had from the first round. I wrote down my palette colour ideas as well.

One last final sketch. This one is pretty much exactly as I want the final painting look. I'll usually write down where I want to see each of my palette colours so I can be as efficient with my paint as possible.

Next step is to transfer my idea to the final canvas. In this case it's a stained wooden panel. Here I used a pastel pencil to sketch it out but usually a pencil is my tool of choice.

Paint time! I try to lay down the large blocks of colour first.

My first painting teacher in college said to us once that if you're going to paint, then use paint. It's not the time to scrimp. So I went out and bought some new paint! My talent takes me far but the paint itself is so important!

From that point it's hard to describe. I don't start from the top and move my way down. I'm all over the place! Wherever my mood strikes me. It's hard to say how long this will take me. This particular situation took me the better part of a weekend.

I also started using this awesome water dish that my Mom gave me years ago and it was promptly put in a dusty corner of my book case. It's got grooves to lay your brushes down without crushing the tips and a ridged section to help remove paint better. I LOVE it! Thanks, Mom!

So, though I didn't get it done in time for the deadline I did finish it today, and my furry intern totally approved.

It turned out as I hoped it would. It's been a while since I've painted so it was good to get back into it in the least. I'm already working on my next one!

CORRECTION!

2011-03-03T22:43:00.002-05:00

So, I was wrong.

Pancake Tuesday, better known as Shrove Tuesday to the religious or Fat Tuesday to those in New Orleans, is actually THIS COMING TUESDAY. I say this because I caused a ruckus in a friend's household that ended in spontaneous pancakes. This, I believe, is a good thing. So, this Tuesday March the 8th get out your frying pan 'cause it's pancake time! Since my sweet is not down with sweets for dinner (hence my sad last post) I think I'll try this savoury style cake I found initially on Apartment Therapy's The Kitchn but is originally from Spabetty...

SPINACH PANCAKES!

Sourced from Spabetty

These babies are gluten free (as is the Spabetty blog) and are mostyl spinach. How could Ronaldo say no? I really love how she made an egg sandwich out of them. Click the Spabetty link above for the full recipe!

Now that I've set everything right, here's an update from a while back. You may remember my goal to make lots of Christmas presents. I gave you sneak peeks of one gift in particular. Well, Christmas came in February for my dear friend Morgan. The reveal for you..

I sewed and embroidered a tree skirt!

I'm very happy to say that Morgan loved it! I had no pattern. By the seat of my pants I flew with this one and it turned out better than I could have imagined. I know no one is going to want to make a Christmas tree skirt this close to Pancake Tuesday so I will re-post about this in the fall with a full description of how I made it so you can make one too!

We have a winner!

2011-03-01T23:40:00.000-05:00

Guess what? It's pancake Tuesday!! Did you guys have pancakes for dinner? I didn't. It's kind of a sore spot right now, especially because instead of making delicious pancakes I made a carrot soup that didn't taste very nice. And, straight back to colour theory here folks, when you blend yellow carrots with orange carrots and purple carrots you get something that is shit brown coloured. I wish I had pancakes.

Enough potty talk- on to business. Yesterday was my third official "Claire" day. It was the first of my me days that I actually illustrated something. I am working on a project that I can't give you the details on as it's not yet a confirmed gig. I had one of those days yesterday when it seems that you just can't get what you want down on paper. It was not an easy day, but I got what needed to be done completed. Here is a little sneak peek:

I also, fingers crossed, found my new web hosting site! I've signed up to be a member of Cargo Collective!

I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to make sure that they were "the one" and after some playing around, I think they may just be. This site runs much smoother than my other site, bigger and simpler. It's got the same "plug and play" aspects of my old site but I will be able to do a lot more customization as I'll have access to CSS and HTML. This probably means that I'll need to learn a little about scripting in the not too distant future. For the time being I can make due with the coding they supply. Cargo Collective has a screening process when giving out their sites. They are aimed at the creative community and wish to maintain a high quality of sites under their umbrella so I'm pretty happy they accepted my request. The best part of it all though, is that it's more than half the price of my last site per year. With me trying to pinch my pennies this is a way awesome thing. I'm pretty pumped to get right into it and set it up to it's fullest.

Applying myself.

2011-02-24T22:26:00.001-05:00

In every sense I can I am applying myself. Or at least trying. This is the time of year that an artist should really start preparing for the rest of the year. I have not been really great at this in the past, but am making an effort to take more control of it all.

from www.AI-AP.com

I've started by getting into entering illustration annual contests. Getting into one of these annuals can bring attention to you and drum up business. It cost a bit to enter them but it will pay off if I actually get in. So far I have only entered one, American Illustration. They publish a beautiful hard cover book each year that I would LOVE to be in. It's a bit of a dream. Visit their website if you're interested in entering yourself. The deadline is this Friday the 25th, but you can enter online so you can enter at the last minute if needed. They do have a photography annual as well, but the deadline had passed for that book. I'm going to enter a few more contests, but I have to do a bit more research to decide which ones to "invest" in.

I'm also going to enter a few gallery shows. There are some calls for entry that I'm going to answer, starting with the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. After my experience at the Queen West Art Crawl last year I am pumped to do some more outdoor shows. Again, it costs money to enter, but if you get in you have to opportunity to make your money back and potentially much more. The deadline for this application is March 1st, and though a bit more involved than entering a contest, you can also apply online. Hallelujah, internet! As the entries for these shows start opening up I will start entering them.

This is a piece I created in the fall that I hadn't gotten around to scanning until now. I actually have it hanging on our wall as it's got little Ramona in the upper left corner and my childhood cat Bert in the centre. Often galleries and exhibits ask to see examples of your work as a part of the application process and I think this is a pretty good example of what I do. Patterns? Check. Kittens? Check. Cuteness? Extra check.

My next application will be to a new website provider. I had a great year with the folks at Other Peoples Pixels and would recommend them to anyone in need of a site- they are great people and make maintaining a website a breeze. It's just time for me to try something new. I've got two weeks to get my act together and get a new site up. I have a prospective new provider but I want to make extra sure that they're "the one" before I tell you all about them.

If you are on the look out for places to apply your craftiness and artiness I would recommend checking out the following sites:

http://www.torontocraftalert.ca
http://www.akimbo.ca

Both of these sites post call for entries and submissions regularly. And they're awesome. Particularly Toronto Craft Alert.

It's Friday tomorrow and I have lengthy dates with my paintbrush this weekend. Hopefully I'll have some new art to show you soon! G'night!

Gallery show opening: Black and White Ball at Propeller in Toronto

2011-02-15T23:18:00.000-05:00

Hey! Not quite done typing tonight folks!

A good buddy of mine, Brad Leitch, has finally decided to unleash his talent on the internet. It's about time! He's a super talent. He's started a new blog called LEITCH located at http://www.bradleitch.wordpress.com and a new portfolio site soon to be launched at http://www.bradleitch.com. I definitely recommend checking out the blog while you're waiting around for the other site. Not only is Brad one of the best painters I know, he's also ridiculously funny.

Brad has a piece in an upcoming Toronto gallery show at Propeller Gallery called The Black and White Ball.

The opening is this Thursday, February 17 from 7-10. Patrons are asked to wear black and/or white. Maybe I'll wear white pants... with rainbow underwear. But that means I'd have to buy white pants. Maybe not. The show itself is on currently and runs through the 27th of February.

I'll be there Thursday and I hope to see you!

Claire loves... Ronaldo!

2011-02-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

It's Valentine's time peeps! I hope you all got your smootch on. Not only was yesterday the day to show my sweetie that he's the apple of my eye...

... it was also the first day to show my love for my illustration business in an eight hour with lunch break sort of way. First think I did was move my computer to my desk. We had been using it as a mock television in our living room since we moved in on a little hall table that KILLED my back when I actually had to do work on it for longer than 2 hours. That was just not going to work for me going forward. Here's the new set up!

There a still a few things to put away but it's SO much better than even a month ago. So, what did I do with my first day, you may ask? Well I did some responsible, though not too creative things. I made a new creative industry oriented resume and went to see my financial advisor to make sure I have enough to live on while still stashing some cash so I don't have to eat cat food when I'm 80. I have an ongoing list of to dos that I will be an ever evolving thing. I will fill you in on what I check off as I go along. For day one, I felt productive. My assistant had a much more relaxing day, smelling the herbs and purring.

I ended my work day at 5 and started working on the Valentines dinner that Ronaldo and I planned. Since we weren't going to let "the man" take all our cash in the name of consumerism (is that even a word?) we decided to make some dishes that we've always wanted to try. Without knowing it we created a theme to our dinner: surprise! The biggest surprise of it all was that everything turned out perfectly, even the stuff I made.

This is a raviolo. Basically a gigantic ravioli. Ronaldo hand made the pasta and a ricotta/spinach filling on Sunday night and then put two of these suckers together for us on Monday. What's the surprise? He put an egg yolk in the centre of them so when you cut into it you get a delicious yellow that mixes with the cheese mixture to make a heavenly sauce. The black stuff is sage browned in butter. It was bliss.

Those that know my cooking abilities will be SHOCKED to know that I, Claire Manning, made, from scratch, molten chocolate lava cakes! AND THEY WERE TASTY! Look at the glistening goo! The recipe is absolutely fool proof (evidence above) and I recommend that you all give it a go, especially you chocoholics!

Ronaldo, I love you. Thanks for tolerating my obsession with cute animals and loving me back. XO.

A twist in the 40 hours.

2011-02-09T21:46:00.000-05:00

I have been waiting for a while to tell you some rather exciting news. Papers have now been signed and it's official so it's time to shout it out to the world!

So, I work a full time job for a major corporation as a graphic designer that illustrates. The job, unfortunately, includes a lengthy commute and has made it difficult to progress the freelance illustration career that I have been striving for. Come hell or high water I WILL be a full time illustrator in the future. I had a one year contract with this company that came to an end last week. When it came time for me and my boss to chat about a new contract, I was very candid about my situation and my feelings about being stuck in a 9-5 world and how it just couldn't continue that way that it had. Now, knowing the background I know about the corporation and it's reputation I was bracing myself to have to walk out the door cold turkey and start pounding the pavement in Toronto to find ways to make ends meet. However, I was met with an unexpected response... a willingness to find a solution to benefit both of us. So, my boss and I basically worked out a two year freelance transition program (I'll call it the FTP) for me to follow. Yeah, I know. Weird that a company would help me very slowly quit my job. Totally amazing, thoughtful, and appreciated too. So, starting next week I will be going to a 32 hour work week at my day job, and spending 8 hours (ONE WHOLE DAY!!!) working on my own personal business. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??!?? This is the first time I have ever had the time to be really thoughtful and diligent in my actions to move forward in my career! I cannot tell you how excited I am!! As you saw last week I organized my studio stuff in preparation for this transition and am trying to start working on little things every night. Tonight I am gathering and formatting my newer work to put up on the Three in a Box rep site. I did a similar move this passed weekend when I updated my page on the Workbook website. I'm going to build a momentum and keep it going!

So that's it! I guess sometimes all you have to do is be honest and ask for what you want instead of assuming you'll never get it.

A little bit about Ramona.

2011-02-05T20:02:00.000-05:00

I believe I've mentioned I have a cat. Her name is Ramona. She is about 9 months old, and she is ridiculous. Every day she does something that makes me shake my head in disbelief. Last week I picked up some canned food for her that had pumpkin in it to add some fibre to her diet. I was surprised to find that in addition to pumpkin there were a quite a few more veggies with some tasty looking shredded chicken. I almost gave it a try myself it looked so good! Well, Ramona went CRAZY for the truly fancy feast. I after I had human dinner I checked to see if she'd eaten everything. I was shocked to see that she had licked the bowl clean.... except for the peas! She left ALL of the peas! Who knew? So, a tidbit of info about my special lady:

I hope you're all having a good weekend!

Snow day.

2011-02-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

"One winter morning Peter woke up

and looked out the window. Snow

had fallen through the night. It covered

everything as far as the eye could see."

-Ezra Jack Keats

STOP THE PRESSES! IT'S SNOWING IN TORONTO!

I know what you're thinking. Crazy city folks think the world shuts down for 10 centimeters of snow. That being said, here I am at home having a SNOW DAY! I am working today, but I thought I would take a moment to celebrate one of my very favourite children's books that I'm always reminded of on days like today.

Image copyright by Ezra Jack Keats

It's, of course, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. I bet more than a few of you have heard of this book, and have fond childhood memories of it. The story is about a little boy who discovers his winter wonderland neighbourhood after the first snowfall of the season. The story is great, but the illustrations are astounding. As an illustrator I am in awe of the wonder of simplicity. It takes real talent to be able to rely on good design and not need to add the kitchen sink into every piece. Keats was a genius in this sense. I love the bright but not garish palette he used in the snowy day, and the way he captures the essence of childhood in his characters is inspiring to me. This book won the Caldecott medal in 1962, and as you can see the art and story remain relevant and current nearly 40 years later.

Image copyright by Ezra Jack Keats

I love Keat's use of pattern and collage mixed with traditional mediums. He was ahead of his time. I work daily to try to achieve the same level of craftsmanship in my own art. It's really quite amazing to think that there was no Photoshop or Illustrator when this was made. I wonder if Keats was around today what he would think of the digital world.

Anyway, whether you are in a blanket of snow or in a warm climate (damn you if you are, lucky duck) if you have this book kicking around your house I recommend pulling it out for a read and this time having a good look at the art.

Stay warm!

IT'S BACK!!!

2011-01-31T21:22:00.000-05:00

This is an unprecedented second post of the day. I just HAD to. I heard the most amazing news:

TORONTO CRAFT ALERT IS BACK!

Toronto Craft Alert is one of the first blogs I ever read. And I read it religiously. It's basically a constantly evolving list of crafty and arty events happening in Toronto. Things to see, events to participate in, cool people that are doing awesome things in the local craft community, amongst other amazing things. Mid summer 2010 the site took an extended hiatus due to stress of running the site and to re-conceptualize certain aspects of the daily workings of the whole thing. Well, much to my joy, I received an email letting me know that the hiatus is officially over and the alerts are going to start coming through again! Hip hip hooray!!!

from Toronto Craft Alert

This site is where I first learned about Print Gocco, where I found the info to apply for the Queen West Art Crawl and other shows I've participated in, and where I've found other inspirational blogs, such as Make Something. I can't wait to see what the re-vamped site has to offer. I just have to say welcome back, old friend. You have been missed dearly.

Organization Princess.

2011-01-31T08:47:00.002-05:00

Howdy from carpool central! It's a bright, freezing cold day and I'm sitting in the back of Leanna's car, on my way to the day job.

I really don't want to go to work today. This weekend I did it. I finally tackled the disaster of a studio room I've been building piles of crap since we moved in in July. I didn't quite finish but I made an awesome start. I've been feeling very bogged down emotionally over the past few weeks. Sometimes all it takes to feel rejuvenated is to properly put away the old stuff to make room for the new.

I cleaned. I grouped like things together.

I built a new paper and illustration board drawer unit. Hello, Ikea!

And I bubble and shrink-wrapped all my old artwork. Nothing will bang up these babies!

Ahh... what a sight to see organization in my apartment! I have more work to do on my space organization, and then I'm going to continue on with paperwork and computer files. I've decided that I need a fresh start to make this year a success and I can't truly move forward until the slate is clean.

Transformation is fun!

Between a rock and a hard place.

2011-01-26T22:20:00.001-05:00

First, I shall start by declaring

So blaaahhh is exactly how I feel right now physically. I feel blaaahhh mentally as well, especially after today.

This year, as I've stated before, I'm bound and determined to make strides in my freelance career that I have not in the past five and build up my business so that I won't have to rely on a full time job to fund my life. I can illustrate circles around people, but I have a lot left to learn about the business world. One of my biggest business faux pas would be that I undercharge for my work. Another is that I can't say no. These are reasons I have agents to be the middle men when it comes to fee negotiations. I was approached last week about doing an independent project for a wedding for a friend of a friend. I was about to accept this very time consuming and costly job for practically nothing after I buy the supplies, which is standard practice for me in many cases. At the end of the day, as awful as I felt about doing so, I confessed to this potential client the truth about the very little money I would be taking in and sadly declined the job. I feel totally awful about it. It's eating me up inside. But I know that it's the right move for Claire Manning Illustrations. I need to make some smart moves this year and not be afraid to turn down jobs if they are not right for me.

Printsource of inspiration.

2011-01-20T23:46:00.003-05:00

I guess what I meant to say was Thursday. Thursday I would write about the Printsource show.

I hope you've had a good week! I have to say that I feel like my old self again. My OLD old self again. No time for anything once again. This isn't a good thing at all and not a good way to start my year. It is, after all, the year that I start my journey to becoming a freelancer. I have to say I'm not off to a very good start. I have a feeling things will take a turn for the better in the next month. I have some news, but it's a bit premature to mention just yet but I will tell you about it as soon as I can.

Now, the Printsource show!

I have been in the textile graphic design business for over six years now, and this is the first time I had been invited to attend the show. I didn't know what to expect. What I saw was a whole new side of the business. Though I was not permitted to take any photos, if I could it would show a room full of colourful booths of companies and individuals selling the graphics, prints and patterns I create everyday. Most sold their art for around $550 per graphic with all it's rights. As I observed (and participated in) people were buying. Retailers like Gymboree, Joe Fresh, and The Gap, all come to this show. And buy lots. There were mainly companies that came from Europe and from New York. Not much of a Canadian showing. I am hoping to change this in the future. In my day to day work I am usually drawing inspiration from other retailers already existing clothing lines due to time and money restraints. The people at this show offer original work based on trend forecasting. In a strange way I think that my boss brought me along on this trip to open my eyes to an opportunity I could take advantage of in my future business and I am grateful to her for doing so. Of course, at the moment I have obligations and a contract that will not allow me to start this nature of a side business just yet. I will look into creating a textile company of my own over the next few years though. If you are reading this and think it sounds like something you'd like to check out or exhibit your work at Printsource has a wonderful, information filled website to help you out. In the meantime, here are a few shining stars of the show that really impressed me:

Lemon Ribbon
http://www.lemonribbon.com

Image from Lemon Ribbon

I found out about these guys before I went to the show on the Print and Pattern blog. The work they do is bright, fun, cute, and trendy too. Lemon Ribbon is run by a lovely couple, Melanie and Edward, who gather artwork from a variety of artists to create a diverse range. They are based just outside of London and have a great European flare to their work. They're a new company (less than two years old) and are already very successful. I hope to contact them to talk shop in the near future.

Peagreen
http://peagreen.bigcartel.com

Image from Peagreen

Though I did not get a chance to get to talk to the folks here as much as at Lemon Ribbon, their work was SO GREAT! Also based in the UK, their design is whimsical, they use amazing colours, they had it all! Graphically, I felt they were one of the strongest booths at the show. After looking at their website it looks like they do paper printing as well. I would gladly hang their work on my wall or wear it on a t-shirt!

Lylove Studio
http://www.lylovestudio.com

Image from Lylove studios

The booth that Lylove had set up caught my eye the minute I walked in the show. The bright unique colours, the beautiful florals, the cool travel themed prints- they had me at hello. I lyloved them. They are based in New York. I sat and watched as two women hmm-ed and haa-ed over two prints that we wanted to purchase from these guys. Eventually they bought and we were out of luck. We didn't leave empty handed though- three fabulous prints came home with us! I look forward to their upcoming website!

Wow! The night has flown! Tomorrow Ronaldo's band is playing a gig AND I have book club. Busy busy! Time to paint my nails and go to bed.

Nighty night!

It's up to me. New. York. Newwww. YOOORRKKK!!

2011-01-16T20:52:00.002-05:00

Here is a little shot of the weekend that has just passed. This photo will be a test to see if Ronaldo actually reads my blog. If he does, I will be deader than meat, but this is a great shot, no? Totally worth it? I think so.

I decided to take some time off to re-coup from a rather dramatic and exhausting few weeks. Though the trip to New York was TOTALLY amazing and it was so great to see my little sis, I was happy to return to normal life. Before I talk "business", here are some shots to set the mood.

Here are some of the world's tiniest snowmen on the edge of Central Park.

Emily was excited about an exhibit on the brain at the Natural History Museum and so we went. It was my first time, and I will have to go back again because the place is HUGE! And AWESOME!

The opposite of AWESOME was where we went for dinner that night. DO NOT go to the Jekyl and Hyde Club. Regardless of what the sign says outside the door, the only reason you would have a heart attack would be because the food, not the frights. Thank goodness Emily and I are twits and Tyler is non-judgemental. We had fun anyway. Look at the prizes Emily won! It only took one quarter because they were stuck together from the years sitting in an ancient claw machine!

After I left Queens I moved into a hotel room on Madison Avenue.

I took away a lot of information and lessons from my first ever business trip. Mostly, a big heads up to a new world of freelance that is out there for me to take advantage of one day. The fact that my boss was willing and wanting to show me this world was incredible. I could fill another whole post just on the Printsource show.... and I intend on doing just that. Tomorrow.

Or Tuesday.

Claire loves... New York AND Cat's Night Out

2011-01-08T08:10:00.003-05:00

Happy Saturday!
I have officially survived one of the hardest weeks I've ever had. I've had my chance to mourn the loss of my Grandma, and now it's time to celebrate her life, and since Grandma loved to travel it seems appropriate that I'm sitting here at Pearson Airport waiting for a plane to take me to New York City. As I mentioned earlier this week, my day job is sending me to the Printsource print and pattern trade show. I'm there to help prepare for the Spring 2011 season that I will start working on soon. I have to say that I'm pretty excited to be there for my own reasons. I have followed this show from afar for many years on the design blogs I follow, and one day I would love to be a vendor there myself. I really can't wait to oogle all the wonderful arty goodness! I will post from the show when I'm there to share it all with you!

I have some arty goodness to tide you over until Monday. Seeing at I'm in a New York state of mind, I wanted to introduce you to a book I was given over the holidays thatI have fallen in LOVE with called "Cat's night out".

It's by Caroline Stutson and illustrated by someone I'd never heard of before but now follow religiously, Jon Klassen
The story breaks my heart in the best way- it's all about cats dancing at night in NYC. All kinds of dance- samba, tap, line dancing... it's totally amazing. The illustrations are stunning AND adorable. Jon's style is great- his use of traditional mediums mixed with digital is seamless and what I strive to attain in my own work. I love to grungy feel of his work in this particular book.

Image owned by Jon Klassen

Jon's blog is pretty great too- I would check it out if I were you!

I will be in touch in a few days with lots of New York fun. For now, I've got a plane to catch!

I'm smarter than I look.

2011-01-05T21:26:00.001-05:00

Well, this week took an unfortunate U turn.

I have loads of things to share and awesome news but none of it's important anymore.

My beautiful Grandma, Ruth Marie Durst, passed away yesterday morning. She was an outstanding grandparent. She never got cross with me when I was little and hyper, and had loads of fun activities for us when we came to visit. She was computer savvy. I bet if she could have she would have had blog and it would have kicked my blog's butt. She was crafty. She crocheted baby clothes for the preemies at the local hospital, made afghans for all of her grand kids, and taught me how to knit. Grandma D. was hilarious, and clever. Her laugh was infectious.
She had been suffering from the
cruelest disease, Alzheimers, for many years now, and had the personality that made her who is is taken away from her.

Worst. Disease. EVER.

Those who know of someone dealing with Alzheimers, my hear goes out to you. I recommend visiting the Alzheimers Society website to learn more about the disease and the steps being made towards a cure. Heck, you can even donate if you feel like it.

I will share my news as well. I'm excited to tell you that I will be going to New York City next week for the upcoming Printsource trade show! I will be going with my full time job, helping to organize graphics for the spring season. I'm going to be with family for the next few days, but will write from the show next week with all the New York greatness.

Rest in peace Grandma. I'll love you always.

A trip down memory lane.

2011-01-02T20:26:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I would tell you the story of my first illustration... and here it is!

I will take you back to 2004. I was in year three, the final year, of my illustration diploma at Sheridan College. In the final year of my program I was to do a three week unpaid work placement. I knew as soon as I was told about it that I wanted to do it with a studio of working illustrators in Toronto that I knew were super talented and that I thought I could learn a bunch from. The guys in the studio were Steve Murray, Ben Shannon, Cameron Stewart, and Kagan McLeod. I couldn't have been more right. I owe these guys a debt of gratitude for the words of wisdom. It was my first exposure to the REAL illustration world. I spent most of my time in their studio, but I also had the opportunity to follow Kagan into the offices of The National Post, where he worked in office on Fridays. It was amazing to see the inner workings of a newspaper. I went with portfolio in arms, totally excited to show anyone who wanted to look at it. I was introduced to the art director for the Arts and Life section. He flipped through my book and he must have seen something workable as he asked me if I wanted to do a job for the paper. It was for a review of a book about bird watching. I was over the moon. The rush I got from that first offer was unforgettable, even though it was unpaid. I would have paid HIM! I called everyone I knew to tell them. I'm not sure what the due date on the job was, I remember spending my fair share of evenings in the computer lab at Sheridan and painting my butt off so I'm sure it was quick. I loved every minute of it! When the paper containing my hard work hit the newsstands I couldn't believe it. I knew right then that I was in love. What a high!! Over the remainder of my placement I did a few more freebies (I was not to be paid, remember) that eventually led to my first paid illustration through the National Post. It was the start of a long running relationship with the paper that will always take the credit for launching my illustration career and helping me realize that it can be done.

Here is the paper that started it all!

I spent this morning updating artwork on clairemanning.com and highly recommend checking it out. Hopefully I will have more to share soon!

Do you have any memorable firsts?

New year, new illustrations!

2011-01-01T20:12:00.007-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I had a bit of a rough morning, but had a great new year's eve with a bunch of awesome buddies! I hope you enjoyed a similar scenario for your eve. When I was "healthy" enough to venture of of my apartment today I was met with my very first illustrations of 2011. Remember two weeks ago when I nearly died from creating 13 illustrations in 7 days? Well, today was the day that The Toronto Star published ALL of them in their tribute to FIRSTS. They asked various contributors to write stories about significant firsts that they've had through their lives. Then, they asked me to illustrate as many of them as I possibly could in a week. And so I did. The prospect of this job was daunting but such an amazing concept- I couldn't say no. I have to say, seeing the finished project I am so happy that I sucked it up and went for it.

It ended up that my work ended up not only in the Living section of the paper, but also the FRONT PAGE of the paper and much to my father's delight, the Sports section. The latter is a first of my very own!

Due to the speedy nature of the job I was pretty much given free run on size and shape of each piece by the art director. I was sending them in to the Star as I finished them and so I didn't know what their vision was as far as layout goes. I was blown away by how they fit them all together. It truly looks amazing!

I will be updating my website tomorrow with all of the illustrations from this spread so you can have a closer look at them all. In the meantime here are a few of my favourites.

This one is my ultimate favourite- My first alone.

My first catch.

My first typewriter.

My first brush with death.
My first regret.

I hope you like them! You still have a few more hours to run out and pick up a copy of the paper if you feel so inclined to.

In the spirit of the theme of these illustrations, tomorrow I will share with you the story of a very important first for me- my first published illustration! It's hard to believe that it's already been 7 years since I hit that landmark, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

Now I will go back to nursing my new years hangover. Unfortunately not a first for me.

Auld lang syne to you my friends, and thank you so much for reading my babbles in 2010. I promise some exciting posts in 2011.

Rear end of the year.

2010-12-29T21:58:00.004-05:00

I hope that you all had a merry holiday, whatever you celebrate! It's hard to believe that the year is nearly over. 2010 started off so promising and ended, well, like a rear end. I let my world slip out of my control, and I promise to get it not only back on track, but hopefully get myself ahead of the game. This goes way past resolution, my friend.

My holiday when by in a flash. In fact, I'm already back to the carpool and the full timeness of scheduled life. I had said that I would post my holiday card on Friday. I wish I had time, but Christmas shopping needed to be done and then I was off to Ronaldo's parent's house and from there I was in full celebration mode, and heck, I just got caught up in the fun of it. And it was indeed a very fun past days, with lots of family. Here it is, albeit a little late.

I really wanted to do an ocean theme this year, and settled on a happy mermaid and her star fish. Hope you like it!

I have some exciting posts planned for the next week, including a glimpse into my process from concept to final, plus some very exciting news. I'll also share the illustrations I worked so hard on last week that hits the newsstand on Saturday. Until then, enjoy the tail end of your year!

'Tis the season to be jolly!

2010-12-25T12:48:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope that you make wonderful memories with your loved ones and have a fun, food filled day! Thank you for reading my blog, and I promise to write about lots of exciting topics in the new year!

Love, Claire

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Claire loves... illustration!

2010-12-23T07:38:00.002-05:00

Even though I lose sleep, miss out on fun events, and my house looks like the Tasmanian devil spun through it, I love illustrating. I just finished a really challenging project that really tested my concentration abilities being able to put my head down and plow through it. At the end of the day I was really pleased with the end results! Here is a sneak peak of some progress work I did on what ended up being my favourite piece of the series:

It's for an article about being alone. To be an artist sometimes you need to spend large stretches of time in solitude so I really connected to the concept. Check out all of my hard work next Saturday January 1st.

I really can't wait until I can say that illustration is my full time job.

Oh, and by the way, Christmas eve is tomorrow. Excited much?

Just when I thought I was in the clear.

2010-12-20T07:13:00.002-05:00

So, usually at Christmas time I will get at leastone illustration project, whether it be something Christmas related or a rush job to complete before the office clears out for the holidays. This year, I didn't think that was going to happen. I actually thought I would have ample time to complete my ambitious Christmas crafting list AND bake a few batches of cookies to boot!

I was wrong.

Thursday I had a phone call from the fine folks at the Toronto Star. I don't want to ruin any surprises, but know two things. First, pick up a copy of the Toronto Star on New Years Day, and second, I will be working every moment of the day until Christmas eve. This project is HUGE in multiple ways.

Anyhow, this was where I left off my crafty pursuits, and how I used my Gocco supplies:

Here are some pre- drawings.

Here is my messy creation centre, and Gocco machine.

End result- and ornament.

Here is my holiday card in progress.

You'll get a closer look on Friday when I can unglue my hand from paintbrush.

Have a good Monday peeps!

Go go Gocco!

2010-12-15T23:39:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry for my short absence. I've been feeling a bit under the weather, but I'm back in almost full force and have been able to catch up on my Christmas presents. I have loads to share with you! I will start where I left off on Friday, with my mystery package from Japan. What was in this package, you ask?

It was some much needed screens, light bulbs, and ink for my Print Gocco print machine. Exciting!

I hear you- what the bleep is Print Gocco? Well, it's a portable screen printing machine from Japan invented in the 90's. The machine has not evolved much since its inception, and have stopped production on it's supplies. Up until this year I was able to find what I need to run it here in Toronto, but now I must etsy it up and have them send from a Gocco hoarder in Japan. It prints 4"x6" screens so it's great for cards. It's a little wasteful in supply consumption and can be pricy, but it's very convenient and easy for home use and the end result looks great!

I'm using mine to make my annual Christmas card and a few extra goodies. Consider the following posts a Gocco 101. I'll post links of where to find machines and such in these posts. For now, check out the save Gocco web link above for more info.

Only 9 more sleeps until Christmas, so back to work for me!

Are you pumped for the holiday too?

One down.

2010-12-10T22:44:00.002-05:00

What a Friday!

I am succumbing to a cold- surely I will be fully infected by the end of the weekend. My wonderful carpool driver is sadly also sick, and shared her cold medication with me this morning. It was just a Buckley's tablet, but it kept me high and spaced out the whole day. It made for an interesting work day, to say the least! I'm back from my cold tablet induced trip, and have been quietly embroidering on my couch all night.

I've started on three more presents. Here is the embroidery project.

This week I had a young lady of the high school persuasion contact me and ask me to mentor her on the design process for her computer arts class. Through my many years becoming and being an artist I've been lucky enough to have some really wonderful people help me along the way and I can only hope to pass on whatever knowledge I can. Perhaps she will let me post her final project for all to see.

This weekend I plan on doing some resting, but mostly working. Tomorrow I go to pick up a special package that will help me with my Christmas cards. I will tell you about the contents in my next post.

What are you up to this weekend?

New stitch in the arsenal.

2010-12-07T20:01:00.002-05:00

It's snowing! I relish this time of the year as it's the only month that I enjoy snow. It really gets me in the Christmas spirit. Speaking of, I am almost finished my most ambitious present I plan on making this year. I was a little iffy about if it would turn out or not, but I'm pretty proud of it coming around the home stretch. I even learned something in the process. I found the need for a blanket stitch- I've never encountered this is my embroidery adventures. It wasn't hard and it looks great! Here's a sneak peek.

Full reveal post holiday.

Are you guys making presents this year? Love to hear about them!

Feeling friendly.

2010-12-06T08:42:00.002-05:00

Good morning! Today I write you from carpool central, inching north on a Toronto highway on my way to my day job. What can I say- I take my moments to blog when I can get them!

As December arrives, so does the flurry of holiday gatherings. This weekend marked the beginning of the season for me. This ties in to another one of my guides to lead me to independent worker status:

Don't forget to hang out with friends and family.

Again, sounds super easy, right? I find though that when I am busy at the office and have to come straight home to work that I often spend time alone and don't make the extra effort to visit or call. It so important to do this as they keep me sane when things are nuts. It's a goal of mine to spend more time with my peeps this year. Friday night I got to hang out with my book club peeps for a festive holiday dinner sans books.

My crafty friend Julie hosted at her beautiful home (note the amazing lighting!) and we did it potluck stylie. See those potatoes? That's my contribution. I didn't cook them, but that's something to get into in another post. The dinner was delicious, and followed up with some cozy conversation.

Snuggie style, of course.

Friends rock.

Goodbye, Miss Sherlock.

2010-12-01T16:17:00.002-05:00

Hope you are having a humping hump day. I know am! I started my corporate work day super early today and because of that I'm now sitting on a GO bus that's homeward bound. I am off to make a special delivery tonight. It actually ties into another item on my list of things to do in order to go freelance 24-7. It's actually a simple concept, but at 8 pm when you have dinner dishes to do and a load of laundry to fold and you've been up since 6 it's not easy to get motivated to do it.

Email people.

That's it. Email art directors, other illustrators, friends, family, and in the case of today, general inquiries. Someone who saw a show I put up at a Starbucks a few years ago emailed me out of the blue and asked if I still had one of the paintings and if it were for sale. Old self would read the email and tell myself I would respond later and then totally forget. New self emailed her right back, and now one of my paintings has a new home!

This is one of my favourites. Lesson learned: you never know what will come of an email.

Now here's a shot of Ramona, who helped me wrap the painting for delivery. So cute.

Keep on humping!

Claire loves... embroidery

2010-11-29T07:43:00.001-05:00

Merry is the perfect word to describe how I feel when I'm embroidering. I can happily sit for hours in front of the computer acting as a TV and stitch away. This is going to come in handy this year in line with my new agenda. One of the key steps to ultimate corporate freedom is saving money. Those that know me will understand that shopping is my addiction. Much like an alcoholic I'll even hide it from people. Christmas time is always the worst. This year I plan on and intend on making as many presents as possible. This is a bit of número UNO! Off to a good start!

The times, they are a-changin'.

2010-11-25T22:38:00.004-05:00

Remember me?
I hope so.
If not, My name is Claire. As my mother says, I colour.
I have not forgotten about you, but have felt one million miles away from being able to function as a blogger. To be completely truthful, this year I have not had an easy time of functioning as much of anything aside from a corporate employee. If you look back to the beginning of this year, I was so excited about 2010. I started it off with a brand new job at a large Canadian retailer as an apparel graphic designer, a position I held at Sears Canada for four and a half years prior. For me, Sears was good because their offices are right downtown Toronto, and I live right in the heart of the city. This new company's offices are in Mississauga, which is to Toronto what New Jersey is to New York City. My first true commute. Traffic has become my mortal enemy this year. Every day I spend at least an hour and a half on a highway, and and hour on streetcars on top of that. At first it was not so bad, and I have an amazing car full of car poolers that have been sent from heaven to take me to work and back, but after a year I really notice the time that I've lost. When you calculate it over a year, it's more than 365 hours. That is 365 hours that were taken away from friends, family, boyfriend, and most importantly, my illustration career. I am really feeling the toll at this point. I've just completed 36 hours of over time for my employers, and I feel now more than ever that my priorities are shifting. I have always only wanted to be an illustrator. There is always that fear of making the rent and paying your cell phone bill that has kept me snuggly in a 9-5 world instead of jumping off the deep end and seeing if I can really make it as a freelancer. This is my time. This is my clearly focused goal. My friends Morgan and Michelle have both decided to make major life changes this year and it's inspired me to start making serious steps to get myself to the freelance career that I've always dreamed of but has always just been out of reach. I am going to use this blog now to track my progress, and keep myself accountable for the steps (and mis-steps, let's be honest) that I'll be making in the next few months. Of course, I will also mention a few things that I love. This way my loved ones can make sure that the time not spent with them is well spent on chasing my dream.

So, here we go. Getting back to blog world was step numero uno, just so you know.

Here's some more work to thank you for reading this super long post.

G'night.

The big day is here!

2010-09-18T11:39:00.001-04:00

And also now! I'm blogging live on location.
I'm all set up and ready to start day one of the Queen West Art Crawl in Trinity Bellwoods Park. People are starting to pop in to see my work so it's time for me to shmooze a bit. Here's a shot of the booth to intice you to drop by!

Cheers!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Queen St W,Toronto,Canada

Come crawl with me.

2010-09-16T23:17:00.005-04:00

Happy Thursday!

It's a rainy cold day here in Toronto today, but the weather forecast for this weekend is lots of sun. This is a good thing, as this weekend is my first ever outdoor art exhibition!! YAY! That's right- the big event has arrived! From September 17th through the 19th is Queen West Art Crawl here in Toronto at Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Here is a map of the park with where I'm located. I'm in booth E60 (close to Queen St West) for those with poor eyesight. If you're in the hood either Saturday or Sunday between 11 AM and 6 PM I would love to see you! If you have kids or dogs that appreciate art, this is a great opportunity to expose them to it. Both are welcome in E60!

I have spent many nights with paintbrush in hand to make some fresh new work to display. Having this to work toward has definitely kicked my butt back into work mode post move- something I definitely needed. I have a feeling that I'll keep my first class ticket on the painting train and ride it until it just won't go no more. I will post up photos of the new stuff once the show is over. You will therefore have to come view it in person if you'd like to see it before Monday. I will also feature a selection of my older work and original illustrations available unframed at a reasonable price. This is your opportunity to own a piece of my world for cheap!

There are loads of amazing artists that I will be keeping company with this weekend and that alone is reason enough to drop by. If you are in town I hope to see you there!

To bed I go. Tomorrow I'm off of work to get everything pulled together. Wish me luck!

The glitz and glamour of premiere night.

2010-09-12T10:34:00.004-04:00

You may think that I am referring to the Toronto International Film Festival (which, in fact, is happening right now and IS pretty exciting) but no. Tonight at the Leslie Jones on Queen Street East in Toronto, is the opening night for the highly anticipated POST NO BILLS 2. The show is organized by the talented Jeremy Kaposy as was the first POST NO BILLS that happened last November. The theme of the show revolves around movie posters. The lineup of talent in this show is impressive and includes...

Jamie Tucker
Sooyeong Lee
Gavin McCarthy
Jeremy Kaposy
Don Wilkinson
Zen Rankin
Alana McCarthy
Tyrone McCarthy
Me
Matt Joudrey
Andre Jolicoeur
Andrew Duff
Lisa Cote
Justin Erickson
Jason Loo
Brian Hoang
Jeff Smalley
Evan Munday
Gillian Newland

I bet you're getting goosebumps, eh? The art is going to blow your mind! The event starts at 7, but come on down any time as it's going to be a hopping party until late.

In personal news, I am tired. Really, really sleepy. I have been working from the minute I get home from my day job into the wee hours of the morning every night for the past week getting ready for the crawl and the show above. I'm a truly lucky girl that I have Ronaldo to make dinners and do dishes. Otherwise my desk would be surrounded by empty sandwich wrappings or I would not eat at all. I barely finished my piece for the show above- by the skin of my teeth I did. I have brought some paintings in to my framer, and spent yesterday at home depot figuring out how I'm going to hang everything in an outdoor venue. I feel like things are starting to fall into place, but I still have a ton of work to do prior to next Saturday morning. I will do my best to post some of my progress this week, even if it's at 2:30 just before I hit the hay. As sleep deprived as I am, when I'm not breaking down in tears saying that I'm never going to be ready and why did I ever sign up for this it's kind of fun.

Back to my desk I go. I hope to see you at the Lesley Jones tonight!

FAQ on deep fried butter

2010-08-31T07:45:00.001-04:00

Good morning!
I'm writing from the road today on my trusty iPhone. Though I have been busy painting away, getting ready for both art shows coming up...

... I took a break to go to the Canadian National Exhibition (or the Ex) last night with some friends. It was good fair fun- pet some farm animals, play some crown and anchors, people watch- with the addition of a new phenomenon. By far, the most popular attraction at the Ex this year was the deep fried butter stand.

Yes. Deep fried butter. Here is a little FAQ for those of you who are curious.

What exactly is it?
A: globs of butter that are battered at deep fried. They are little and there are 4 in a serving, but I recommend a serving of one.

What do you put on them?
Though likely good with savoury toppings, this stand served them with sweet syrups. I tried with vanilla.

What do they taste like?
Hot melted butter in a fried batter. It was not as bad as I thought it would be.

Pat, being lactose intolerant, regretted that bite a bit later, but enjoyed it here. Is it worth the hour wait in line to experience the buttery goodness? All I can say is that if you choose to make the time commitment at least pick up a side of chocolate covered bacon as well.

Back to the ol' golden acrylics tonight. Will continue to post sneak peeks at my work as I finish!

Claire loves... Saving Grace!

2010-08-23T22:16:00.003-04:00

It's MONDAY!

I've been meaning to write this post for a while- what's a blog called Claire Loves If I don't tell you what I love every once in a while, eh?

Saving Grace is my favourite brunch location in all of Toronto. I am NOT kidding. It blows me away every time I go. It's on the corner of Grace St. and Dundas St. West in Toronto. We recently went there a few weekends ago, and it reminded me just how awesome it is. Just look at these specials!

The restaurant itself is pretty tiny, and is only open for breakfast and lunch. I won't lie- there is usually a line to get in, but it's worth the wait. They have the most incredible french toast with caramelized bananas. I had the poached egg special this day and it was perfect. The Sunday we went they had opened the alley way beside the restaurant as a seating area. Tiny, yes. Fantastic? Definitely. Go there. Now.

In other news, last weekend I completed my first ever illustration job for a client Overseas. I did a series of three illustrations for a UK magazine called Mother and Baby. Of course, I will reveal the art once it's been published in the magazine in October. It was such an uplifting experience! More about this at a later date.

To cap off this post I thought I would post a shot of Ramona. She's been attempting to be my assistant when I paint or ink. She's cuter when she sleeps.

Make your own darn robot!

2010-08-12T00:34:00.003-04:00

This is a safe statement to make, as you now can do so. All you need is your handy dandy, brand spanking, hot off the press, copy of this month's BROKEN PENCIL MAGAZINE!!

I must say I am a bit biased, being the illustrator featured on the cover, but in all truthfulness, Broken Pencil is a great magazine featuring literature, articles, and artwork you wouldn't find in your everyday Maclean's. In this month's issue, the D.I.Y. issue, you can learn how to build a robot of your own. I wonder how I would construct these odd fellows.... likely with lots of plastic and love. Anyhow, I would definitely pick up a copy if I were you! Here is the final illustration prior to the addition of info:

Hope you like it!

I just finished working on some roughs for an upcoming illustration gig. Will tell you all about it in the next post because I have to get my butt up for work in only 5 short hours. Ahh, the joys of 9-5 (or rather 8:30-5).

M. Night Shyamalan, I understand now.

2010-08-08T23:24:00.005-04:00

Do you remember a movie that came out a few years ago called "The Happening" by one M. Night Shyamalan? *SPOILER ALERT* It sucked total balls, so I don't recommend it. Anyhow, it's all about how the wind was making everyone kill themselves. Stupid, I know. However, after spending the week spray painting my frames for the big show out in my backyard, I know where Mr. Shyamalan must have found his inspiration. I didn't want to kill myself, but man oh man, the wind this week brought me to the brink of insanity. That being said, I am now finished the colour spray process- yay!!

I'm going to spray them all with a thick gloss to make them extra awesome, but I've decided to wait a week to calm my nerves and focus on my painting. PAINTING!! I haven't done it since moving into the new joint. Last weekend I found an awesome deal on a little corner unit desk and bought it as a temporary solution to my desklessness. I've started setting up my work space so I can whip out my acrylics, like, now. Here's what I've done so far:

Note my prized Jon Todd painting and Raquel Schmidtke bunny taxidermy. Very important, inspiration wise. Also, I love the nice big bay window. I think it's a sturdy start.

In other news, I just got the issue of Broken Pencil that features my illustration on the cover, and I'm as pleased as punch! Expect me to show that off later this week.

On to painting!

Antiques Roadshow meets New Yankee Workshop meets my backyard

2010-08-03T22:53:00.000-04:00

Do you hear that? It's the sound of my heart beating a bit faster than usual. The long weekend is over and August is now in full swing. Where the hell did my summer go? I'm now in full speed ahead mode getting ready for the Queen West Art Crawl here in Toronto. I just got home from a lovely weekend split between my friend Brad's cottage and the Manning family cottage. So relaxing, and even a little productive. I've been searching for unique antique frames to refurbish for the show. Finding frames in Toronto has been time consuming and expensive. In cottage country this weekend, my Mom found bargain antique frame heaven. She brought me to this awesome sale outside of Goderich, Ontario that had, literally, thousands of amazing frames, all for $10 each! This is just one of many piles!

I wish I could have taken them all home (I do have a three bedroom apartment now, right?) but settled on four of them. That including a trip to the local value village, a Toronto antique store, and a generous donation from Brad I now have loads of frames. I have started the hard labour now. I've been in my new backyard sanding, staining, and prepping the frames for spray painting.

I have had a little help from a little friend.

I am (hopfully) going to start spray painting the primed frames tomorrow after work. I've just got to find a place spray:)

Will keep you in the loop of the process. Until then.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Workbook page up and running.

2010-07-28T00:26:00.003-04:00

So, is it hot enough for ya?

It's perfect for me. I've been living in mostly kitty bliss mixed with a bit of kitty hell (damn you, fleas) all the while sanding and priming frames, and conceptualizing some cool paintings. Fun stuff!

I just wanted to give you the heads up on a new promotional gig my wonderful reps at Three in a Box have organized. The Workbook has been a staple in advertising your art for ages and ages. Their website now houses a portfolio of my illustrations for viewing and (hopefully) inspiring some new jobs. Here is a link to my part of the site. Stop by and have a look if you'd like.

Now go have a popsicle!

Meet my big surprise!

2010-07-18T21:27:00.003-04:00

I am very happy to make an amazing introduction...

This is our new kitten, Ramona!

She's as sweet as can be, but is SUCH a kitten right now. She can play with anything, but enjoys our legs, under the covers, in bed, at 3 AM, when we are sleeping, the most. It was instant love.

I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of inspiration she will have on my work!

There are literally 5 boxes left to unpack at our new place, and have fulfilled my bridesmaidly duties and intend to be working like a mad woman from now on. A big freelance gig is under negotiations right now, the days are ticking down to the Queen West Art Crawl, new promotional work through my reps, and a new show is in the works.

Can't wait to share all the upcoming artwork!

New season, new home, new news!

2010-07-05T22:27:00.005-04:00

Happy belated Canada day and Fourth of July! I hope that where you are is lovely and summery and full of fresh picked strawberries!

So, it may have seemed as though I was gone for good. Perhaps I had thrown in the towel? Not so much, my friends. I took a small hiatus to pack all my belongings and hightail it out of my old studio apartment and in to a beautiful new 3 bedroom. If I could please note that when you read the number three imagine that there are fireworks and stars shooting off around it. This is HUGE!! In 5 years I have not lived in more than one room. The addition of three glorious rooms means that I won’t have to sleep where I work where I sleep. Seriously- there were days where I would wake up to the vision of tubes of acrylic and pizza crusts. NO MORE!! WOOHOO! I can now have what every artsy girl dreams of... a studio space! Though I will be posting more pictures of my place when the boxes and mess has been put away, here is a shot of the room that will be my studio (be sure to focus on the fact that there is a door. A DOOR!!)

As a browser of many a craft and design blog I have had lots of studio space inspiration to pull from to make my space a true haven of illustration wonder. Here are a few of my favourite shots.

This beautiful studio belongs to Natalie Zee Drieu found on Apartment Therapy. LOVE the blue walls and the dueling work/computer spaces. This would really be a convenient layout for a gal like me!

Danny Seo's studio (also found on Apartment Therapy) is so cozy looking I could work in it all day. My inner 60 year old adores the plates on the wall. My outer 29 year old also does.

This is Angela Hardison's work room, found on Design*Sponge. I envy someone who can live clutterless like this. I love the layout. Alas, I have too much stuff. A girl can dream though.

I cannot wait to get started on this project so that I can get started on my next big art project. My new news is that I have been chosen to participate in a large outdoor art exhibition and sale here in Toronto called the Queen West Art Crawl. I have always loved going to this show and am super excited to be sitting along side the talented people whose work I oogled in years passed. I have a whole plan to create a load of new work and lots of fun ideas for themes. I will keep you in the loop on all my progress. I have one more bit of new news as well... it’s extra amazing and I want to tell you now but it still feels like a dream that it’s happening at all and I want to make doubly sure that it is before I share. Wish me luck with unpacking!!

June is busting out all over.

2010-06-13T09:49:00.006-04:00

It really is! It's fully exploded and it's great. With the Ronaldo's sister's wedding coming up soon and our moving in to our new place at the end of the month I'm anticipating the rest of it will be a whirlwind. It seems like June is always my most social month of the year. I thought I might post some photos from the past few weeks (from my shiny new Lumix camera!) to highlight the explosion's aftermath.

This is the first photo I took on my new camera. This is a boat on a bike ride I took. I'm looking forward to some dazzling pictures in my future. Rest in Peace, old Sony. Your blurry days are over.

These are wedding shower cookies. I know. As you may or may not know, Ronaldo's family is of Italian heritage. I, as you may or may not know, am fifth generation south western Ontarian, or a "caker". A tradition at an Italian wedding shower is to offer tray upon tray of homemade Italian cookies. Apparently people bring their own tupperware and load up on them in a free-for-all style. Linda, Ronaldo's sister, wanted none of this, and decided to pre-pack the cookies so everyone got some. Let me just say that I have never seen so many cookies in my whole life. It was magic.

Our first bike ride on the Toronto Island. We picked a beautiful day to go. It was warm enough to dip your feet in the water! We packed a thermos of wine and some of the cookies seen above and had an awesome afternoon. It's nice that there is a place to get away from the craziness of Toronto, and it's only a ferry ride away!

I am a HUGE Dave Matthews Band fan. Big. I go see them every year. This year's Toronto show was extra special as not only were we FRONT ROW, but I was with the whole of team M, better known as my sisters. Between the three of us we've seen Dave Matthews over 30 times, but this is the first time we've seen them all together.

Best. Show. Ever.

You may be thinking that I've abandoned my art, but I saved the best for last. Yes, I am still working away! I finished this year's D.I.Y. cover for Broken Pencil Magazine. I thought I would give you a sneak peek at the inking. You'll have to stay tuned to see the final piece.

I hope that you are enjoying your Junes so far too!

On newstands now!

2010-05-22T08:46:00.005-04:00

Good morning!
Happy Victoria Day weekend to you Canadians! Got to love a long weekend. I'm heading off shortly to help prepare for a bridal shower for Ronaldo's sister (hence my being awake before 9 on a Saturday) but I thought I'd take a sec to upload the work I did for Today's Parent. I did this piece back in March so I've been waiting on pins and needles to see it in print.

Here's the cover...

Here's the interior...

And here's what I sent the art director way back in March.

What do you think? Ronaldo insisted that I use a Les Paul as inspiration. He also felt that I made the characters' hair too short and that they weren't tattooed enough. I told him that this is for Today's Parent. Enough said.

Exciting news! Ronaldo and I found our new home!! We'll be going from a smallish studio to a 3 BEDROOM! With a JACUZZI TUB! It really is only a matter of time before my dream comes true and I get myself a little kitten.

Off to Stoney Creek to pack cookies for the shower. Enjoy your weekend, wherever you are!

Oh, the joys of moving!

2010-05-17T23:02:00.002-04:00

Yes! We finally did it! Our notice was sent and Ronaldo and I are outta here on July 1st. Our little place in the distillery has been great, but more so than anything it has been little. I know that both of us are yearning for a place to work on our own and hopefully we will find just that. Our hunt has only been on for just over a week and we've already found a few cute places that piqued our attention. Hopefully it will be over shortly, as the running home from Mississauga to run out to a viewing is starting to cut into my blogging time. Funny, as I actually have some things to write about! I'm going to keep it short.

Last week while on a trek to an apartment viewing I stopped at a local drugstore to pick up some stuff. I was walking down the multivitamin aisle (clearly on the way to something way cooler and less healthy I'm sure) and found this popping out in a little tray:
Normally this would cause me to shriek with happiness as I love seeing my stuff in print (I still think it's SO COOL) but I had no idea that the work I did for Multibionta was being used for anything other than the commercial, which I did shriek at. Though I know it happens a lot in the illustration and design industry, this is the closest I'd ever been to having my art published without my permission or rights usages and it made my stomach sink. After a quick email I found out what the scoop was and everything is fine. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to tell all you awesome artists out there: MAKE SURE YOUR WORK IS PROTECTED. That's what contracts and waivers are for- to make sure your intellectual property is safe. After my little scare I will be sure to read through information thoroughly from now on.

More later this week- I can now talk about my piece in June's Today's Parent Magazine and I surely intend on doing so.

Getting the itch to stitch.

2010-05-06T19:32:00.002-04:00

Hello.

I make no excuses this time. I should have posted, I didn't post, I apologize.

That being said, I really haven't been up to much to do with my own art. A project fell through, my phone has been pretty quiet, and I have been working much too much in Mississauga (which is to Toronto what Jersey is to the big apple).

On other people's front, a very talented friend of mine, Ben Sellick, had his very first showing (not his last) yesterday evening. I am envious of his ability to work big. Let me tell ya folks, it ain't easy. I love the energy in each piece, the colours he uses, the composition.... there is a reason people have been bugging him for ages to show. Here's a shot of one of the pieces.

This does zero justice to how awesome (and huge) his work is in real life, so if you are in Toronto in the next month, you should pop by Insomnia , a restaurant and bar at the corner of Bathurst and Bloor. His work is on display until the first week of June.

On another note, it's been months since I last embroidered and I am starting to miss it. Badly. I'm going to have to get back to it, or else. Here is an embroidered piece I did last year-

I will post new embroidery as it happens!

Tally-Ho(mosapien)!

2010-04-18T21:51:00.003-04:00

Here's to a beautiful weekend! I hope it was nice in your neck of the woods!

Friday was the Manimals art show at the Smiling Buddha in downtown Toronto. I showed you a quickie preview of the piece I did for it in my last post, and now I'm ready to show you the finished product. I was trying to take some pictures of it with my crappy point and shoot camera but was thwarted by Ronaldo who thought I was better off using his DSL.

Here is the thwart from my camera:

And here is the final shot for you:

The show went off beautifully. The turn out was amazing- thank you to all of you who came, despite the fact that I did a terrible invite job. I hope you enjoyed the show! Thanks to Ryan James Terry for organizing the whole shebang!

The next project on the list is to continue work on my website. There are definitely a few things I'd like to improve about the information layout and there are more pieces that I'd like to upload. The great thing about my new website is that creating and re-organizing that sort of stuff is fairly easy and not too time consuming. Now I have the time to work on it! Hopefully I will meet my month end deadline to make my site stunning and just the way I want it!

Here's a shot of the next art project. *SPOILER ALERT TO MY MOM*
I put the spoiler disclaimer only as a precaution. My mom still thinks she can access facebook on her ipod nano so I think it's safe to say she doesn't read my blog.
Anyhow, I bought and stained these nesting dolls years ago with the intention to paint the five members of our family on it for mother's day. It seems the stars have aligned and I finally have some time to do this project and just in time for the big day too!

Here are my blank canvases!

I hope that you all had great weekends! Until next time!

My TV premiere and more!

2010-04-05T21:28:00.008-04:00

Happy Easter Monday!

I hope that the weekend was as lovely for you as it was for me. The weather in Toronto was exceptionally beautiful. Even though Ronaldo and I were driving to visit family and eating copious amounts of their food most of the weekend we still found time to dust off our bikes and have our first ride of 2010!

I made a huge discovery this weekend, thanks to some observant friends of mine. Remember back in January when I had my super busy week of freelance even though it was my week off to work on my website and write lots and lots on my blog? I was able to show you the piece I did for the National Post, but was not able to tell you about the other project. Well, now I can tell it to the world! I did some work to accompany a commercial! I'M ON T.V.!! Check it out!

For this job I created two mandalas (patterns in a circular format) with all sorts of fun things that women do, and what's in Multibionta, the client for the project. Here are the final still mandalas. It was a little hard to picture how they were planning on using everything at the time, but it all makes sense after seeing the commercial. I am so happy with the awesome work that the animators did!

This weekend I also started working on a painting for the next group show that I'm going to be in. The theme is "Manimals" and I am taking an equestrian twist on it. Here's a small sneak peek!

I hope you are having the sunny weather I am wherever you are! Keep an eye out for my work next time you're watching CSI!

3...2...1... SOFT LAUNCH TIME!

2010-03-29T22:08:00.003-04:00

I finally did it!!

After a year of multiple free two week trials I have finally committed to the purchase of my new website! Can you believe it? It's about time! I am saying that I've softly launched it as I haven't had much time to do any uploading of art and am going to do some more customization to the pages. Let me tell you this, my friends. My updates will be MUCH more frequent. Feel free to visit my website more than once a year and know that you'll see something new!

So, as if you wouldn't know, my website is www.clairemanning.com. Let me know what you think so far!

I completed a promotion for Three in Box last week with the theme of fairy tales. I knew that I wanted to go with The Ugly Duckling as my tale but had a hard time trying to nail down a concept. I wanted to use a twist to the story and thought of doing a "guide to being different" as told through the duckling story. I could not for the life of me figure out a layout that I liked with this idea so I went back to the drawing board and focused more on design. I was very happy with my end result. Fingers crossed that others do too!

I've also had my work in the Octopus Project show since my last post. Here are a few shots of my whole piece. The inspiration of the piece is the sound of a phone ringing and a man picking up to say "hello?". I however, heard a male killer whale on that phone instead.

This week I am painting a piece for yet another show- this one is themed "manimals!". The idea for this one came fastly and furiously and I can't wait to show you the final product. I'll be sure to post it soon!

A little sneak peek.

2010-03-11T07:40:00.001-05:00

Guess who missed the early bus to work again today? Me! This is my first day back on transit after two glorious weeks of driving my sister's car to work- I miss it already!

Anyhow, that combined with a late night of painting my piece for the upcoming Octopus Project show caused my body to fail at the waking up thing this morning. Good news is that the painting turn out just the way I wanted it to. Does that ever happen to you? It doesn't usually for me. Here is a little preview. If you want more, come out to the show!

Next up is the final art for the 1/4 page I'm doing for Today's Parent magazine. Roughs have been approved so it's time to get going on it!

I really love being so busy with my art!

Have you tried a blood orange yet?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Claire loves... Sicilian blood oranges!

2010-03-09T00:03:00.003-05:00

I do!
This is the first year I've had the chance to try these tasty oranges and I am truly addicted. The flavour is very sweet and they're really juicy. I am not one to pick the orange over other fruit but these tasty guys are the best. Plus, they come wrapped in a ninja turtle wrapper! I highly recommend trying them while they are still in season.

I am super busy with lots of exciting art projects, one being an illustration for June's Today's Parent and the other being a painting for a group exhibition in Toronto this weekend. The show is called the Octopus Project and they put on different themed shows every once in a while. The one happening this weekend is themed "Hello!". The show happens at the Case Goods Warehouse in the Distillery district in Toronto- click the link above for more info and directions. Hope to see you there!

Website a-go once more!

2010-02-19T07:16:00.001-05:00

Here it is, folks! My very first blog post on the road! I am sitting at the GO transit terminal having failed my first attempt at catching the early bus to work (late by two stinking minutes too! I suppose the bus waits for no man) and thought I would use my time wisely. So, here we go!

The (hopefully) image above is a shot of the progress I made over the weekend on the site I was meaning to do in January. You may have noticed that I've changed this blog background to white (thank you, Ronaldo) and I really like the change so I've decided to continue with it on my work site as well. I'm hoping it won't be too hard to shake off my old hosts for the new ones so that this new site can go live sooner than later.

That's it for now- let's see what happens when I hit publish!

OOPS! Got to give credit!

2010-02-10T22:31:00.002-05:00

OOPS!

I just realized that I posted a painting done by my dear friend Bradley Leitch in a photo last week and did not mention it. He does not have a website yet, so I can't give you a link, unfortunately. Well, here it is again, and I apologize for not giving props last week.

Sorry, Brad! You are a super talent!

My week of freelance illustration

2010-02-10T22:06:00.002-05:00

I'm well into my second week of work at my new job, and I'm still getting used to the transition from a 15 minute commute to a 90 minute commute. It's certainly having an effect on my accomplishments in the evening time, and just on general sleepiness. I am feeling supper sleepy, by the way. Anyhow, I have 3 hours of travel time to fill, and this weekend I went out and bought myself a handy dandy iPhone. I have downloaded the blog application on to it, but can't figure it out yet. When I do I will be writing here at 7:30 in the morning on a bus with a load of snoozing executives.

This post is about cool #3: illustration work!! I adore illustration work- it's my first love, even above embroidery, and my educational background. It's been ages since I've had any, and I was getting antsy. As I said last post, my "week off" of work ended up being a week on. 2010 brought me another sweet present! I had two jobs I was working on, one has been published already and I can share it with you and the other I will only show a snippet and you will have to wait for the rest.

The first job I did is an illustration for the National Post (a Canadian newspaper) to accompany their February calendar on Monday the 1st. I went totally Valentine's on their paper, with an Olympic/ black history month flare. I was allowed to do whatever I liked and I did just that! Here it is:

And this is a shot of my desk as I worked on the second illustration project. And yes, this job was done in full vector! I really am turning into a digi-Claire. Note the glass of delicious apple cider. It was my week off, after all, so I treated myself to a sweet treat.

Update on the tea towels at Model Citizen next time!

No Problems!

2010-02-04T23:03:00.003-05:00

You will all be happy to know that I have survived almost a full week at my new job. Perhaps I should clarify that I survived almost a week of a 3 hour daily commute on public transit. I feel like if I can get through the week like this then I should be good to go until I can buy me some sweet wheels or find a carpool buddy. Anyhow, what I mean to say is that I am really liking the job so far and my co-workers have made me feel right at home.

That aside, you may be surprised that you didn't hear from me again over my week off (well, really, if you follow this blog at all it's not THAT surprising) but it got crazy like a horse busy as soon as I hit "publish post". Lots of new illustration work to show you to make up for my poor blogging. That is for another day.

Today, I want to mention cool thing #3 (and yes, 2010 is still the shiznit) which is the first completed painting of the year.

I will start by telling you that I try to do a painting for one special loved one every year for Christmas. It's always a one of a kind, never scanned for future usage, special made piece for that individual. This year I chose to make a painting for my old college roommate and brother from another mother, Brad. This is his painting, which he seemed to really like.

It's based on an old t-shirt he's had since grade 5 that he is proud to say is still in his wardrobe today. Here is the original:

And here is my take on it. I made it a bit ghetto cool as Brad is what you would call "hip".

Oh, and I didn't end up getting anything up on etsy again- shucks. I will continue to look for time to do so.

Back in the saddle again

2010-01-26T09:41:00.003-05:00

Happy Tuesday morning!

I bet you're wondering what the heck I'm doing writing a blog entry at 10 AM when I clearly work a day job. Well, this girl is jumping lily pads! I accepted a new job (still graphic design) at a new company! WOO HOO! Any of you who know me know that this definitely counts as cool thing #2 on my list of awesome stuff in 2010. I finished my old job on Friday last week, and have a week in between to chill out a bit and work on a freelance gig that came in last week. It's a fun project, so in my books it's barely work! I've also had time to get back into my embroidery work- you may have thought I forgot all about my tea towels seeing as I have not written about them in a while, but I sure haven't! I cut up a whole bunch and screened them over the Christmas break, sewed them a few weeks ago, and am now back into my embroidery.

This is how I set myself up to get into it again. Notice the mandatory glass of red wine (only the finest Falasca-Manning Estates for me!) and the half read book club book in the background (which I never finished, unfortunately). Truly a comfortable place to be. It's nice to be putting needle to fabric again. Hopefully I'll have time to get stuff up on etsy before my week off is through!

Who says a starving artist can't buy art?

2010-01-18T21:54:00.003-05:00

Anyone else LOVING 2010 yet? So far this year has been pretty jammed with cool, and it's only JANUARY! Though I intend to share all the greatness with you, I will do so in intervals, as I've heard that reading my lovely prose can be, well, boring.

So, cool #1: My second art purchase (a custom piece, to boot!) was made! I have not sold enough of my own work to afford to fill my walls with the works of all the artists I cherish just yet, but a good friend of mine, James Fowler of Toronto, made this wonderful piece just for me! We talked, and I wanted something that was white, greyish and blue-y, with splashes of hot pink (look familiar?) and this is the final product!

The painting is called "winter blossom", as it's mostly derived from the idea of spring's first flowers popping out of the snow. James' style of work and sources of inspiration are so creative and unique. Another tidbit- he hides the word LOVE in each work. LOVE!! So awesome, no?

DING DONG! 2010 is ringing loud!

2010-01-17T21:02:00.003-05:00

Here we are! Another decade is just beginning! Hopefully this one will have less Sisco (remember the thong song?) and more awesomeness. Did you have a wonderful holiday? I'm already slacking on my new years goals (no resolutions for me, thanks) and have not updated the blog in a while. Time to step it up seeing as I have lots to accomplish this year and, much to my dismay, the days are not getting longer.

My Christmas was not a total write off. I did get a little work in. My focus, for the time being, is back on my illustration work. I found that I was a bit neglectful of this part of my life while in tea towel land this past month. The amount of work coming in is probably related (a.k.a. none at all). My representatives are updating their website and I've been getting ready for their big launch. Although I haven't seen it yet, I have a feeling it's going to be beautiful. I 'm excited about being a part of it! It's also lit a fire under my bum to get my own website updated. Since I've been in school I've made my own websites. Original? Yes. A pain in the ass to update? You betcha. I can flash script myself into a confused tizzy like it's no one's business. It's time to give in and ask for some help. I found this website, otherpeoplespixels.com, who will not only provide domain and space, but also offers a variety of templates and easy to understand instructions on how to update. This is key, as I plan to update more than once a year.

I know that it's been unseasonably warm in Toronto, but it's still January so here is a little hot chocolate piece of mine for you to enjoy. Lots of other fun crafty things are heading down the pipeline- I'm looking forward to telling you all about it!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...

2009-12-23T14:39:00.002-05:00

Here we are, only two more sleeps until Christmas. In my opinion, people who count down sleeps instead of days until something are usually slightly over excited and that is what I am. I hope that you are all ready to hang your stockings by the fire with care! This will be my last post prior to the big day, and I wanted to share some amazing Ronaldo original photos of some of my favourite ornaments for my puny Charlie Brown Christmas tree that I love so much.

This ornament is practically a relic. My best friend in grade two, Martha Cooley, gave this to me back in Claire: the early years. The art of laundry peg crafts has fallen by the wayside as of late, but this little Mary with her little felt Jesus (I believe Martha's mom made it) is still top of the pops on my tree.

This is appropriate in theme with the whole Sherlock Holmes movie hype. Who doesn't love Snoopy? If you look closely, that's a little Watson Woodstock leaning up on him.

Now that you've enjoyed some nice photography that may or may not have warmed your heart, I want to thank you SO MUCH for all of your support this year, and for reading my blog! I promise that 2010 holds many neato things for you to look forward to. I will be sure to fill you in on the events of Christmas next week, as I am off of work (yessssssssss.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! SEASON'S GREEETINGS!

Available at a store near you (as long as you're in Toronto)

2009-12-13T22:50:00.006-05:00

WOW! It's a record! Two consecutive days of blogging! As promised, I have a few shots of my tea towel set up at the store Model Citizen in Kensington Market, Toronto. I took a little trip yesterday afternoon to see how they look, and just look! They set them up beautifully!

I was talking to the lovely sales lady and she mentioned that they are also going to be carrying the work of one of my old schoolmates! Her name is Gosia, and they couldn't have made a smarter decision- she's a super talent. Have a look at her work on her website here. Trust me- if you don't fall in love with it, I'll be a monkey's uncle!

Today I was visiting a good friend of mine who lives in Oakville, Ontario. She mentioned that she thought my alphabet prints would do well in some of the smaller boutique stores in the city, and took me to see one while I was there this afternoon. The place was called Rattle and Stroll (cute little name!) and filled with some amazing baby products that are quite coo-worthy. I am working on a bit of research on costing some printed canvas, but am happy even with the prospect of getting some prints in a store. I will be sure to keep you updated on the progress. In the meantime, I have lots of little projects to work on that I'll be sure to tell you about post Christmas as I don't know who may be reading this blog on any which day and I would hate to ruin a holiday surprise.

So, what now?

2009-12-12T09:47:00.003-05:00

Happy Saturday! It's a balmy -7 degrees here in Toronto. At least it's sunny! It's been just over a week since introducing my tea towels to the world, and it's already time to get back to work and start making some more. Last Sunday I participated in the Leila Cools holiday craft sale. I didn't make any sales that day, which I suppose is just part of the business, I did get a chance to talk to some awesome vendors who have experience running an etsy shop. Now that my very short run of craft sales has come to an end it's time to start looking for new places to sell my wares and etsy is definitely at the top of the list of options for me. I have taken a trip to my local post office and figured out how much shipping around the world would be, and have picked up a stack of customs forms to save me time in the long run, so now all I have to do is actually post some items to sell. To tell you the truth, I'm a little scared. I'm scared of most things before I try them so this isn't shocking to me, but I need to just get over it and put something up. I promise that by the end of this weekend you will be able to buy something from my store. You can hold me accountable to this statement. In the mean time I have put the towels in a retail location in Kensington Market called Model Citizen. More about that in my next posting (hopefully immediately after uploading product on Etsy) tomorrow night.

On another topic, this past Thursday was my monthly book club meeting. We went out to this amazing Italian restaurant called Terroni. After busting my bum to make all my towels and greeting cards what did you think I would do after all the hulabaloo was over? Make more crafts, of course! I adore my book club an think the world of my fellow members. As it's coming up to Christmas and it was also the 1st anniversary of our first meeting, I thought I would make the girls some personalized bookmarks. I used my special Japanese reversible fabric I bought way back in the summer. They were a big hit!

Lily made us all these delicious chocolatey-candy-caney shortbread cookies that barely made it through the front door when I came home that night. Ronaldo and I had polished half the bag before hitting the hay!

Mmmmmm... holiday baking!

I have to get my bum into Christmas shopping mode today. I was really aiming to buy most of my gifts on etsy, but time has slipped away from me and the shipping deadlines are too tight. Boo. I'm off to see what the streets of Toronto have to offer. Stay warm!